Pursuit

 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want...Psalm 23:1.   I can not imagine how many people around the world know these verses. The Jewish nation, Christians of every denomination, I am sure the words are famous enough to likewise be known among the other religions of the world.  I have been meditating on these words, on the whole psalm but particularly "surely your goodness and kindness will follow me all the days of my life" (vs.6).   Some versions omit the your, some versions translate follow as pursue.  It can add nuance to our understanding when we read scripture in alternate translations and that is why I have been taking a second, third, hundredth look at Psalm 23.   The New Living Translation says: Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life,

God's goodness and unfailing love pursues me.   Does that mean I lean towards sheepish behaviour and wander away from my shepherd and need to be pursued to stay firmly in the vicinity of his watchful eye?  Does it mean I don't just wander away, I actively turn away from good and safe guidance and choose a path of my own perilous design?  Does it mean that I defy and fight against the leading of the shepherd who may take me through a difficult valley in order to reach the tableland of plenty, rest, still water and the loving care of anointing with oil.   I think in my own experience, yes it means all those things.   

I could talk about sheepish behaviour here, but what is really capturing my mind and heart is the pursuit of God.  Pursuit is the act of following with the intent to catch, get ahold of, or overtake someone.  It doesn't have the same ring as follow.   Following can imply distance, pursuit implies close proximity ...being on one's heels so to speak.  The goodness and kindness of God pursuing me is a little mind-bending to me.  There have been times - though thankfully few - where I thought God didn't have my back.   Life was hard. Relief seemed nowhere in sight. The truth of Psalm 23 tells me that my observations and perceptions were wrong.  It tells me that if I had only opened my eyes and looked around, been less determined to follow my own way of thinking I would have seen goodness and kindness in hot pursuit of me.  That is a very comforting thought.   It also is arresting.  It stops me in my tracks and prompts me to think: what direction am I going in life, am I following the great Shepherd?  What am I pursuing?  Where is my focus?  Do I rely on the good guidance of my Shepherd knowing he will always have a great outcome for me? It also tells me that the shepherd knows what he got into being a shepherd, that pursuit is part of the "job".  Sheep wander.  This is not a sheep may wander, but sheep will wander and the objective of the Shepherd along with providing good care and direction is the holy task of hot pursuit.  He gathers the scattered, He brings home the lost and weary, He is relentless in His loving pursuit. I thank Him for that.  

The LORD Is My Shepherd
(Ezekiel 34:11–24; John 10:1–21)

New Living Translation

Par ▾

A psalm of David.

1The LORD is my shepherd;

I have all that I need.

2He lets me rest in green meadows;

he leads me beside peaceful streams.

3He renews my strength.

He guides me along right paths,

bringing honor to his name.

4Even when I walk

through the darkest valley,a

I will not be afraid,

for you are close beside me.

Your rod and your staff

protect and comfort me.

5You prepare a feast for me

in the presence of my enemies.

You honor me by anointing my head with oil.

My cup overflows with blessings.

6Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me

all the days of my life,

and I will live in the house of the LORD

forever.