Facing the future without fears

A lot of people spend so much time worrying about tomorrow that they never enjoy today.

As David concludes Psalm 23, he is not afraid:

Psalm 23:6 "Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the
Lord forever."

You too can be free of anxiety, fear and worry about the future. Here's why:

1. God is watching over you.  When we have a personal relationship with God, then we have a God who is concerned about us. He loves us.  Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

2. God's Grace is working in you. Not only goodness will follow you.... "mercy will follow me all the days of my life." What is Grace?  Grace is God's riches at Christ's expense. Grace is the fact that God gives you what you need, not what you deserve. Mercy is Grace in action.  Why do we need Mercy?  Because we make mistakes, we falter, we sin. We're not perfect.

So in the future, you not only need God's Grace, you will also need His Mercy.

3. Heaven is waiting for you. "... and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."  God says "I have this life planned for you and surely Goodness and Mercy will follow you through it..... but that's not the end!"  God builds it to a crescendo!  And David ends this Psalm with "We are going to Heaven!"

Who is Heaven made for?  Not everyone.  It is made for those who say "God, I want to be a child of God. I want to follow You."

It isn't up to you to make sure you get to Heaven safely.  Once you commit your life to Christ, He will make sure you get there safely because you are truly trusting Him.

How do you know you're going to Heaven? Jesus says "my sheep listen to me and follow me."  Are you listening to what God says to do with your life? Are you following Jesus Christ? Is He your Shepherd and your Savior?

If you say, Yes, I'm listening to God and I'm trying to let Him lead my life, letting Jesus Christ be my Savior; I know I'd never get to Heaven on my own and I'm trusting Him.  Then you can say with absolute confidence, Surely I know I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

This concludes my writings on Psalm 23.  If I were to sum up what we've learned, I would say this:  The good Shepherd provides protection, provision, peace, providence, companionship (His presence), and paradise. Jesus is all you need.