“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Psalm 23:6
The day of my wedding my photographer looked at me and said that you could almost physically feel the joy that was present. While this compliment meant the world to me, and the 15-year-old girl inside of me was screaming (because what bride doesn’t want people bragging about how joyful she and her groom are on their special day?), I couldn’t take the credit. I told my sweet new friend with the camera, “Today is evidence of a good God and of answered prayers”.
While marrying my best friend was by far one of the very best days of my life, the remainder of the year was hard. I will not say that it was bad because I got to experience the goodness of God through difficult seasons and I was able to begin my life with my sweet husband. However, the year and its circumstances made for one of the most difficult times of my life.
My husband began a new job two weeks before we got married. And while the job itself was most definitely an upgrade, the pay was not. While navigating this, I was also finishing up my Master’s degree with no idea what career I wanted to pursue. Due to a lack of funds, we were living with my parents and the newlywed dreams of traveling and going on frequent date nights were few and far between. The yearning for a home of our own and the lack of financial stability to live the life we dreamed of was a difficult path to walk. I often found myself crying while my husband was at work asking my mom when it would be our turn. I had dreamed of getting married and having my own home for years, and now it felt just out of reach. Every time we found a home we liked that fit our budget, it would slip through our grasp.
On top of it all, my mental health was suffering to a degree I had never experienced before. Constant fear, worry, and anxiety plagued every waking moment. I want to stop and explain that I am not writing this to you so that you may feel pity, and I am well aware that to some these complaints are going to seem insignificant. I do not pretend to understand the hardships that some suffer; I am simply explaining my own hardships in the best way I can so I can show you how Jesus showed up through it all.
As the year came to an end and circumstances remained the same, God revealed a verse to me. Psalm 23:6 says “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
In the midst of trials and hardships, it's easy to wonder where God is. I knew all along that God was with me, but there were many days that I did not feel it. But God’s Word promises that His goodness and love are following me. All I had to do was look for the good.
I want to encourage you today to take time and look for the good. Psalm 23:6 promises us that it is there. Whatever circumstance you are in, take some time to look. It might not be easy to see, but the goodness is with you—God promises that it is.
The second part of this verse proclaims that we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Have you ever walked into someone’s home and just felt at peace? You know when you enter that love abides in those walls. Friend, you get to sit on the sofa in the living room of the King! The house that is decorated in nothing but goodness, mercy, peace, and love is your dwelling place! But you have to walk through the door. If God has invited you to live in peace and grace in His house, why are you standing in the yard? If Jesus is motioning you to come inside, why are you lallygagging on the porch, refusing to go in?
Psalm 23:6 makes some pretty big and pretty awesome promises. There is always goodness, and we always and forever will be in the house of our God. But we have to have the courage to look for the goodness and walk into the house. Take His hand, trust His promises, and walk into His house that is filled with goodness. I promise you will not be disappointed.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/RyanJLane
Olivia Lauren is a graduate student passionate about Scripture, particularly the Book of Romans showcasing God's grace. Outside her studies, she enjoys teaching her dog new tricks and finding quicker ways to silence the smoke alarm after trying a new recipe.
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If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Originally published Monday, 20 January 2025.
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