Finding Fulfillment in God's Shepherding Love

Devotional

Day 1: The Deep Desire to Be Truly Known

In our fast-paced world, many of us find ourselves seeking validation through social media likes, career achievements, or personal relationships. This yearning to be known and valued can lead us down paths that offer only temporary satisfaction. However, the profound truth is that we are already fully known and deeply loved by God. He sees beyond our actions and achievements, understanding the very essence of who we are. This realization can transform our lives, freeing us from the need to seek approval from others. Instead, we can rest in the assurance that God's love is unconditional and everlasting. [11:19]

Psalm 139:1-4 (ESV): "O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether."

Reflection: Consider the ways you seek validation from others. How can you remind yourself today that you are already fully known and loved by God?

Day 2: God as Our Shepherd

The imagery of God as our shepherd, as depicted in Psalm 23, is a powerful reminder of His role as our provider and protector. Just as a shepherd cares for his sheep, ensuring they have food, water, and safety, God provides for our needs and guides us through life's challenges. This understanding of God as our shepherd invites us to trust in His wisdom and love, knowing that He is always with us, leading us to places of rest and renewal. In a world that often feels chaotic and uncertain, this assurance of God's constant care can bring us peace and comfort. [18:49]

Isaiah 40:11 (ESV): "He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to trust God as your shepherd? How can you lean into His guidance and provision today?

Day 3: Aligning Our Desires with God's Will

To experience the fullness of God's provision, we must align our desires and needs with His will. This requires us to trust in His understanding of what is truly essential for our lives, rather than pursuing our own agendas. It can be challenging to let go of our plans and ambitions, but when we do, we open ourselves to the abundant life that God has prepared for us. By seeking His guidance and aligning our desires with His, we can find true fulfillment and peace. [31:11]

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Reflection: What is one desire or ambition you need to surrender to God today? How can you seek His guidance in aligning your life with His will?

Day 4: Choosing Who Will Shepherd Us

We have the choice of who or what will shepherd us in life. While culture and ambition may offer temporary satisfaction, only God, as the good shepherd, can lead us to true fulfillment and peace. This choice requires us to evaluate what influences and guides our decisions and actions. By choosing God as our shepherd, we commit to following His path and trusting in His wisdom. This decision can transform our lives, leading us to a deeper relationship with Him and a more meaningful existence. [37:29]

Joshua 24:15 (ESV): "And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Reflection: Who or what is currently shepherding your life? How can you make a conscious decision today to follow God as your shepherd?

Day 5: The Open Invitation to God's Pasture

The invitation to be led by God is always open. The gate to His pasture is wide open, offering us the opportunity to experience His provision and protection. We must choose to walk through it and trust in His guidance. This open invitation is a testament to God's love and desire for us to be in a relationship with Him. By accepting this invitation, we can experience the peace and fulfillment that comes from living under His care. [39:36]

John 10:9 (ESV): "I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture."

Reflection: What is holding you back from fully accepting God's invitation to His pasture? How can you take a step today to walk through the open gate and trust in His guidance?

Sermon Summary

Summary:

In our journey through life, we often find ourselves yearning to be known, to be seen, and to feel valuable. This desire can manifest in various ways, from seeking recognition on social media to making significant life changes in pursuit of love and acceptance. However, the ultimate fulfillment of this longing is found in the realization that we are already known and loved by God. Psalm 23, a timeless passage, reminds us of this profound truth. It begins with the declaration, "The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need." This statement is not just a comforting thought but a radical declaration of God's provision and protection over our lives.

The imagery of God as our shepherd is powerful. In ancient times, a shepherd's role was to provide for and protect the sheep, ensuring they had food, water, and safety from predators. Similarly, God, as our shepherd, offers us provision and protection, guiding us through life's challenges. The name "Yahweh," used in this context, signifies God's eternal and self-sufficient nature. He is the God who transcends time, the creator and sustainer of the universe, and yet He chooses to be intimately involved in our lives.

Our challenge is to align our desires and needs with what God, our shepherd, knows is best for us. This requires trust and a willingness to let go of our own agendas. We must choose who or what will shepherd us—whether it be culture, ambition, or the pursuit of being known—or whether we will allow God to lead us. The gate to His pasture is open, inviting us to experience His provision and protection. As we journey through Psalm 23, we are reminded that in God's care, we lack nothing truly essential. Our task is to trust in His guidance and align our lives with His will, knowing that He is the good shepherd who leads us to green pastures and still waters.

Key Takeaways

1. seated desire to be known and loved often leads us to seek validation in temporary and superficial ways. However, true fulfillment comes from recognizing that we are already fully known and loved by God, who sees us beyond our actions and achievements. [11:19]
2. God as Our Shepherd: The imagery of God as our shepherd in Psalm 23 highlights His role as our provider and protector. Just as a shepherd cares for his sheep, God ensures that we have all we need, guiding us through life's challenges with His wisdom and love.

3. Aligning Our Desires: To experience the fullness of God's provision, we must align our desires and needs with His will. This requires us to trust in His understanding of what is truly essential for our lives, rather than pursuing our own agendas.

4. Choosing Our Shepherd: We have the choice of who or what will shepherd us in life. While culture and ambition may offer temporary satisfaction, only God, as the good shepherd, can lead us to true fulfillment and peace.

5. The Open Gate: The invitation to be led by God is always open. The gate to His pasture is wide open, offering us the opportunity to experience His provision and protection. We must choose to walk through it and trust in His guidance.

** [11:19]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:30] - A Memorable White House Tour
[05:45] - The Desire to Be Known
[11:19] - Stories of Seeking Love
[15:30] - Introduction to Psalm 23
[18:49] - Understanding the Shepherd
[24:57] - Aligning Our Desires
[31:11] - Trusting God's Provision
[35:00] - The Role of Money
[37:29] - Choosing Our Shepherd
[39:36] - The Open Gate
[41:27] - Invitation to Follow Jesus
[42:47] - Aligning with the Shepherd
[44:16] - Closing Prayer and Worship

Sermon Clips

1) "Being somebody, being seen, that is just, that is our feeble attempt at something even deeper and greater. It's our feeble attempt to be known. You see, that's ultimately what we want. We ultimately have this desire to have intimacy in relationships, to be fully known, all of the good and the bad, and fully loved. To have a transparency with people that it doesn't matter what we do, they know us, they love us. That's actually what we want, but that's difficult. That takes time. That takes sacrifice. That takes risk to be fully known. It takes risk. And so because of that, we want to be known. Because it's difficult, we settle for being seen." [11:19] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2) "What if you're already loved? What if you're already known? What if you already have someone of clout and importance that looks at you and says you are valuable? I want you to go to psalm chapter 23. We're gonna be spending a few weeks in this iconic passage. The reason why we picked it and Scott might have told you already was because psalm 23 is a passage that almost everyone has some familiarity with and we want to lean in and see what it really says to us." [18:49] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3) "The Lord is my shepherd. Let's just talk about a shepherd for a second. Because again, it's not, it's not us, right? Let's just talk about a shepherd for a second. You live like out in Goldthwait, Texas and have sheep or goats. Like you probably don't have sheep in your backyard. A couple of you might, I don't know. But shepherding is not normal to us. So here's what I just want you to think. A shepherd took care of sheep. Sheep were incredibly important to an agricultural world in which the Israelites lived. It was their investment. It was what provided money. It was their sustenance. And in order to keep their investment in good shape, they had shepherds." [24:57] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4) "The Lord, Yahweh, is my shepherd. And he is the shepherd who needs no shepherd. He is the God who doesn't need or require anything for his own sustenance. He's the God who lives without us, doesn't need us, doesn't need anything because he has it all because he is it all. And out of that fullness, out of that infinite being, he provides for his sheep. And so David says the Lord is my shepherd Yahweh is my shepherd and I've got all that I need." [31:11] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5) "You get to choose who your shepherd is. You can be shepherded by culture, shepherded by the American dream, shepherded by a wish list of things, shepherded by the desire for power, shepherded even by the desire to be known, which being known is important to us. We talked about the beginning. You get to choose who you're shepherded by. And here's the beautiful thing. You get to choose right now." [37:29] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6) "If he can sustain a universe, he can sustain your life. If he can make the planets orbit the sun and a universe that we can't even begin to explore. If he can make that all happen, he's got me. He's got you. You get to choose who your shepherd is. If you're not a follower of Jesus, he wants you to be. And he's got the green grass and the still waters we're going to see next week for you. He's going to walk with you through the valley of the shadow of death, which we're going to see later. He's going to prepare a table for you in the presence of your enemies." [39:36] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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