In His House Forever

But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. 

II Samuel 12:23  

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.  

Psalm 23:6 

What foundation did David have with which to comfort himself after the death of his son? His rationale was, ‘I shall go to him.’ If we look at other statements he makes in other passages, we discover that David’s foundation was Christ. If we read the 23^rd Psalm, we find Christ at the beginning as David’s Shepherd. The New Testament describes Christ as the Good, Great, and Chief Shepherd. Because David had been a shepherd, he knew the job well. Therefore, when he came to describe Christ as his Shepherd, he could speak eloquently of all Christ did for him. He spoke of how Christ led him, fed him, guided him, guarded him, removed his fears by his Presence, meeting every need. His conclusion points toward eternal life. He says, ‘I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.’ David understood his future. When his son died he did not sorrow as one who has no hope. He looked forward to the day when he would reunite with him in the house of the Lord forever. His foundation for hope in eternal life and his reunion with his departed son rested wholly and solely upon the Person and work of Christ, his Shepherd. 

Our Gracious Master and our God,| 
we rejoice that You are our Shepherd. 
We praise You that because You are, 
we shall not want in life, in death, or in eternity. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning