Faith in the Cracks – Allowing God to seep into the cracks in our lives.

I thought I had published this piece, but evidently I forgot to and it has been sitting around. So here is part 3.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord  my whole life long.

For me, this is the verse that misses the mark most fully. The word follow. Make me think of either a playing follow the leader as a kid, ambling after someone, or because I read too many spy novels, tailing somebody. However, the Hebrew word radaph is more active than that. Radaph is more like to chase or to pursue.

Think about goodness and mercy chasing after you, pursuing you. It feels different. Think about God pursuing you or chasing you. God is inescapable. And then to go back to dwell – it harkens back to the beginning and the green pastures and still waters, to dwell in the house of the LORD is to be at home, to be settled. 

I find comfort in the idea that God is chasing me, that God loves me and wants to offer comfort and care and protection and guidance that God will actively follow me. So now I offer my translation of Psalm 23.

The LORD is my shepherd. God cares for all my needs. God lets me come to rest in places vibrant with new growth and leads me to calm waters. The LORD returns me to wholeness and guides me in the well-traveled and well-worn ruts of the faithful, because of who God is.

In the darkest times and places of life, when I must continue on, you go with me. You guide and protect me while still urging me onward. When surrounded by those who would hold me down or hold me back, you prepare a feast for me in their presence. You anoint me and invite me to share in your abundance. Your abundance and your loving kindness will chase after me all of my life; and I will remain in your presence for all of my days.