Forever

As long as I have read the Bible, and I have been reading since I first learned to read, the 23rd Psalm has had a special place.  Like so many others, it became one of the first sections of Scripture put to memory.  As a pastor seeking to bring comfort to those in need, I turned to read its words more times than I could possibly count.  Of course, as masterful as are the words, the real power has always been in the images those words created.  From the very first words to the final phrase, our spirits are captured and enabled to see things which cannot be seen.

 

Midst all the troubling things experienced in these days, the hardest is not the inconveniences or the social isolation, but in the loss of those who are family and friends.  As we read this Psalm in these times, we come to a powerful word of comfort in the last verse as David writes, "...I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever."  (Psalm 23:6)  As the book of Revelation answers the question of the living about the martyred dead (Revelation 7:9-17), so does the last phrase of this Psalm tell us a word about the blessedness of those who have gone home to eternity before us.

To read of this blessing of eternity in the presence of God is far too much for this mortal mind to grasp.  The image of the Word allows my spirit to ponder what cannot be understood, to catch a glimpse of what cannot be seen, and to know what cannot be known.  Until that day when faith becomes sight, I will lean into this image and let the Holy Spirit unfold it in ways that will reveal that which He designs for me to see.  It is His comfort which gives me hope for these days when the trouble seems to have overwhelming power and also my hope for the days of blessings still to come.