Dwelling in God's Presence - all the days of your life

Reading: Psalm 23 v 6

How do you know you're getting old? Because in your head you don't age do you? I'm not that old but I started to realise the inexorable progression of things when I thought the new doctor was a child from the local sixth form, and when I started groaning every time I bend or saying things like, "Ah well," every time I get up. When did I disappear and my Dad start to appear?!

How do you know when you're young? And when does it change? David says in this Psalm, "I know for certain goodness and mercy shall follow me - young or old, all the days of my life."

Does that mean that no matter where he goes, his life would always bring goodness and mercy to everyone he met? Not a bad goal to set ourselves but not really an accurate assessment of the life of king David.

Does it mean he has reached such a place in God that he will never have hassle or problems again? Well if Jesus had hassle, and warned His disciples to expect more, can any of us anticipate a trouble-free life? Even if we are full of faith and good works? Have a look at 2Tim 3v 12 sometime.

So what does David mean? That the goodness of God, His grace and mercy, favour, kindly eye, attentive ear and inexhaustible patience to an open desiring heart will always be with him.

And that he will dwell in the house of God all his life and beyond, forever. Which doesn't mean he'll live in church, but to live as part of God's household loved, cared for, cherished, a life lived in the presence of God.

You can see the build up to this throughout the Psalm:

"Green pastures / still waters": God is there in times of comfort and joy.

"Valley of Death / evil": The Lord is there when others betray and danger threatens.

"Presence of enemies": Things that would worry or discourage, God is there to provide and lift up.

"When anointed to serve: The Lord is with me to guide me."

In verse six: "Surely, only (all else will fail but not this) goodness and mercy shall follow me and no matter what my situation or age or the fact that I am not perfect, I will live an active recipient of and participant in God's household forever."

It's funny how we envy the ages of others, kids can't wait to be older, when we are working we long for retirement, and as we grow older we hanker for our youth.And even though the Bible is full of examples of how the Lord loves to work in lives on incredible variety, so many of us say, "If I only I were older / younger / had a different situation… then I'd be able to serve God properly."

How old do we have to be to start living the life Jesus died to open to us - not just salvation, but living? Fifteen? Twenty? Twenty-five? They say life begins at forty - so I've got seven months to go!

When are we so old that we stop being relevant to Lords plan and important to His kingdom? David said, "All the days of my life," in other words, "All the stages from young shepherd to old king I am part of His house and work, a recipient of His care and commission, where and who I am now."

Mary, Joseph, Wise Men, Shepherds, Anna, Simeon, look at the Christmas story and we're all there - young, old, ordinary, fancy, clever, not the sharpest knife in the drawer. All there, even unborn children (John the Baptist as a baby still in the womb, responded to God Lk 1v 41) experiencing and living all God had for them.

The goodness and mercy, the experience of God's touch is for today, to dwell in the presence and reality of a living Jesus is for today. No matter our age or our situation, we need the immeasurable richness of life in Him today, and if we will seek it, He will help us find the place where we can say,

"Surely His goodness and mercy and presence all the days of my life and forever."

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