We follow the righteous paths of Christ through this life so that his name will be glorified (Ps. 23:3; 1 Cor. 10:31). John Piper, Christian author, speaker, and pastor, (and one of my favorite writers) has said: "God is most glorified when we are more satisfied in Him". And I would also say that the converse is true. We are most satisfied when God is most glorified. I believe this reveals the heart behind the wonderful declaration of David - "Surely goodness and love shall follow me..." God expects his children to trust and obey him without hesitation. hhH He makes this assumption because he has done everything in his considerable power to enable us to do so! Therefore, he has no qualms about stating things in the absolute.
Romans 8:28 says: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." God makes no apologies for this. It's not his fault that this verse has become a dismissed cliché to the contemporary Christian culture. He expects us to know and believe what he says in his Word. Imagine that! We can't know something or someone without investing time, energy, and effort. Often we claim promises of God without fully understanding the premise behind it. If we simply skim over Psalm 23 (or any of God's Word), the fullness of its richness will not penetrate our hearts and lives.
A great distinction must be made. Life is not God; God is life. Any confusion about that, and there's destined to be disappointments and emotional meltdowns! Jesus Christ brings life to the fullest when we distinguish friend from foe (John 10:10). God gives goodness in midst of life. He loves us through valleys and nourishes us in the presence of our enemies. It's odd how often people credit life as being good to them while accusing God of being unfair and unloving. This type of "reverse thinking" is a sign of enemy activity. Misplaced loyalty, distress, and distrust become lingering residue of the father of lies (Ps. 55:2, 3, John 8:44).
The Lord our Shepherd leads us to places of contentment and stability (Ps. 23:1-3; Matt. 6:33). Standing on the rock that is higher than we are lends itself to strategic positioning (Ps.61: 2). When we embrace life from a Scriptural perspective, we disable Satan's schemes. He is unable to see anything from God's point of view. Therefore - if we base our expectations and actions upon what God says - the evil one is left in the dark. Goodness and love is God's domain. For a short while, the enemy's influence is on a seemingly long leash on the world (Romans 16:20). His only shot is to convince God's people that God's goodness and love changes according to life's circumstances. Satan cannot have our eternity, so he will devise any plot to destroy our earthly life. This is one reason we must be diligent and discerning about what path we walk. Whom we choose to follow affects what follows us.
How we live our lives each day signifies an agreement. Either we agree with the plan of God (Jer. 29:11) or the treacherous traps of the enemy (1 Peter 5:8). Our battle is not against this life, but against spiritual darkness (Eph.6: 10, 11). We confidently proclaim that God's best will be with us all the days of our lives - He is infinitely enough. His love never fails. His goodness does not end.
