A Way to Read Scriptures

Psalm 23:6  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

How many times  have we heard a message or read an exposition on this well-known Psalm? I am reminded of some good advice I read from a saint of old. “Reading the Bible is a good thing to do daily, but there are many ways to do this. Some read according to a schedule and finish the whole Bible in a year or less; while others  study various chapters in great detail; and I have no problem with either plan.

But I would offer a different system. Many times, I read slowly until the Holy Spirit stops me by having a word or a phrase jump off the page. Then I take that word as my meditation for the day.  The following is a combination of study and meditation of this one verse.

“Surely” in the Hebrew is pronounced “ak” in English and the meaing is much deeper than this one word. Some of them are: only, certainly, and surely of a surety. How much more would the idea be enhanced if the translators had chosen “only?” If we think about it, how much more than goodness and mercy do we really need from God? Especially if we look into the expanded meanings of these important words.

“Goodness” can mean: beautiful, best, favor, loving, wealth and welfare. Taken together, I see a word that usually is limited to the New Testament word, “grace.” I often think of God’s favor when I hear the word grace.

“Mercy” is from a Hebrew word pronounced “kheh’-sed,” and sometimes means these words as well: kindness, beauty, favor, and lovingkindness.

It seems to me that putting these words together can meet any and all of your needs and even some of your wants.

I have saved the best for last! We probably understand how important it is to have these qualities “follow” us “all the days” of our lives, but here are some of the other ways this is translated into English: chase, follow after, hunt down, and pursue. My favorite of these is “hunt down.” This brings out a much more active idea than merely “follow.” As long as it is goodness and mercy (or any combination of the above added definitions) I would gladly surrender to being “hunted down.” How about you?

Submitted by David Roberts