Finding Rest: Trusting God as Our Shepherd

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing Divine Rest

In our fast-paced world, the necessity of rest is often overlooked, leading to exhaustion and mental health struggles. The story of Tattoo, the Basset hound, humorously illustrates how we can find ourselves caught up in the whirlwind of busyness, much like Tattoo's unintended jog. Both science and scripture emphasize the need for rest, with the Bible instructing us to take a Sabbath day each week to pause and rejuvenate. This divine design is essential for our well-being, reminding us that rest is not merely a suggestion but a crucial component of a balanced life. By intentionally setting aside time for rest, we align ourselves with God's rhythm and allow our souls to be refreshed. [23:39]

"Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: 'In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.' But you were unwilling." (Isaiah 30:15, ESV)

Reflection: What specific steps can you take this week to intentionally incorporate a day of rest into your schedule, allowing your soul to be refreshed and rejuvenated?

Day 2: Trusting the Shepherd's Guidance

Psalm 23 paints a vivid picture of God as our shepherd, leading us to green pastures and still waters. This imagery assures us of His provision and peace, reminding us that God desires for us to rest and be renewed. Our role is to follow His lead, trusting in His guidance. In our busyness, we often neglect spiritual disciplines like prayer and scripture reading, not because we doubt their importance, but because we are simply too busy. By prioritizing these practices, we anchor ourselves in God's presence and open our hearts to His guidance. [31:38]

"And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding." (Jeremiah 3:15, ESV)

Reflection: How can you create a daily routine that prioritizes time for prayer and scripture reading, allowing you to follow the Shepherd's guidance more closely?

Day 3: Anchoring in Spiritual Disciplines

In the midst of our hectic lives, spiritual disciplines often take a backseat. It's not a matter of disbelief but of misplaced priorities. We must intentionally set aside time for these practices, allowing them to anchor us in God's presence. By doing so, we cultivate a deeper relationship with God and find strength and peace in His presence. This involves making a conscious effort to prioritize spiritual disciplines, recognizing their importance in our spiritual journey. [37:45]

"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" (Psalm 46:10, ESV)

Reflection: What is one spiritual discipline you can commit to practicing daily this week, and how can it help you stay anchored in God's presence?

Day 4: Relinquishing Control to God's Provision

Trusting in God's provision and protection involves relinquishing control and following His lead daily. This trust is built on the belief that God knows and cares more than we do, guiding us to rest and right living. By surrendering our worries and anxieties to Him, we open ourselves to His peace and provision. This requires a daily commitment to trust in God's plan, even when it doesn't align with our own understanding. [48:53]

"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." (Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to relinquish control? How can you practice trusting God's provision in this area today?

Day 5: Following Jesus Daily

Like sheep trusting their shepherd, we must focus on the present step, not worrying about the distant future. By staying close to Jesus and following His guidance each day, we can trust that He will lead us to where we need to be. This involves a daily commitment to seek His will and follow His lead, trusting that He knows the path we should take. By focusing on the present and staying close to Jesus, we find peace and assurance in His guidance. [42:44]

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105, ESV)

Reflection: How can you practice staying present and attentive to Jesus' guidance today, trusting Him to lead you step by step?

Sermon Summary

In today's message, we explored the theme of rest and the importance of slowing down in our fast-paced lives. The story of Tattoo, the Basset hound, humorously illustrated how we often find ourselves caught up in the whirlwind of busyness, much like Tattoo's unintended jog. This relentless pace contributes to the mental health challenges many face today. Science and scripture both emphasize the necessity of rest, with the Bible instructing us to take a day each week to pause and rejuvenate. This is not just a suggestion but a divine design for our well-being.

We delved into Psalm 23, focusing on the imagery of God as our shepherd who leads us to green pastures and still waters. This passage is rich with the promise of provision and peace, reminding us that God desires for us to rest and be renewed. The shepherd's role is to guide, provide, and protect, and our role is to follow. Yet, in our busyness, we often neglect spiritual disciplines like prayer and scripture reading, not because we doubt their importance, but because we are simply too busy.

The challenge is to prioritize rest and recreation, trusting in God's provision and protection. This involves intentionally setting aside time for Sabbath rest, allowing our souls to catch up with our bodies. We must also trust that God knows and cares more than we do, relinquishing control and following His lead daily. This daily following is akin to sheep trusting their shepherd, not worrying about the distant future but focusing on the present step.

In Mark 6, we see Jesus, the Good Shepherd, providing for the crowd, illustrating His role as our provider. This reinforces the message of Psalm 23, that God is our shepherd who leads us to rest and right living. Our task is to stay close to Him, following His guidance each day, trusting that He will lead us to where we need to be.

Key Takeaways

1. paced lives often mirror Tattoo's unintended jog, leading to exhaustion and mental health struggles. Both science and scripture emphasize the need for rest, with the Bible instructing us to take a Sabbath day each week to pause and rejuvenate. This divine design is essential for our well-being. [23:39]
2. God as Our Shepherd: Psalm 23 paints a vivid picture of God as our shepherd, leading us to green pastures and still waters. This imagery assures us of His provision and peace, reminding us that God desires for us to rest and be renewed. Our role is to follow His lead, trusting in His guidance.

3. Prioritizing Spiritual Disciplines: In our busyness, we often neglect spiritual disciplines like prayer and scripture reading. It's not a matter of disbelief but of misplaced priorities. We must intentionally set aside time for these practices, allowing them to anchor us in God's presence.

4. Trusting in God's Provision: Trusting in God's provision and protection involves relinquishing control and following His lead daily. This trust is built on the belief that God knows and cares more than we do, guiding us to rest and right living.

5. Daily Following of Jesus: Like sheep trusting their shepherd, we must focus on the present step, not worrying about the distant future. By staying close to Jesus and following His guidance each day, we can trust that He will lead us to where we need to be.

** [23:39]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[23:39] - The Story of Tattoo
[26:02] - The Epidemic of Busyness
[31:38] - Psalm 23: The Shepherd's Provision
[35:01] - The Challenge of Following Jesus
[37:45] - The Initiator of Rest
[39:45] - Letting Our Souls Catch Up
[41:11] - The Reality of Life's Challenges
[42:44] - God's Will for Today
[43:30] - Following the Shepherd Daily
[45:21] - Prioritizing Rest and Recreation
[47:52] - Trusting God's Provision
[50:20] - The Impact of Trust
[51:26] - Jesus as the Good Shepherd
[53:21] - Staying Close to the Shepherd

Sermon Clips

1. "The Bible, God's word to us, the creator of the universe said to us, you need to take one day out of every seven and do nothing. You need to rest. You need to recreate. That's the owner who built it. Like the manufacturer of your life says, if you want your life to run at its best, rest, you need to take a day a week to slow down and to stop, to rest, to recreate. You've probably heard this saying. It's not, it's not in the Bible, but it's probably a true statement. You've heard it. If the devil can't make you bad, he'll make you busy." [23:39] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "He lets me rest in green meadows. He leads me beside peaceful streams. So shepherd to sheep mentality. We don't think that way. A sheep needs provision. Food, green meadows. Water, peaceful streams. And so the leader, the shepherd, takes the sheep there. When we read those words, like we get some mental images. They're rich with imagery. Green meadows, your brain pulls up and sees green meadows. A peaceful stream. You can imagine that when you read it. What we tend to miss though, is one of the most important things in this passage. He says, he lets me rest. Or if you read in other translations, he has me lie down. He has me lie down in green meadows. He lets me rest in green meadows." [31:38] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "The problem is, problem is, we move so fast. Like, it is hard to follow Jesus when we're following a thousand other things. It's hard to keep our mind on what's number one when numbers two through twelve gather our attention so often. Like, let me give you an example. Maybe you've experienced this or something similar. You're thinking to yourself, regular day, you're thinking to yourself, oh hey, I've got to get my oil changed in my car. Like, that's important. I've got to get it changed. You pull out your phone so you can schedule it, so you can leave you a note to do something so you don't forget because you don't want to burn up the engine." [35:01] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "If you're not experiencing rest, if you don't have a day, a Sabbath day is what the Old Testament calls it. We'll talk about it a little later. If you don't have a Sabbath day, if you don't have rest, if you're not being renewed, if you're not being recreated, here's what we know. You're not following Jesus. Now don't get mad at me. I didn't say it. His name is David. He's an Old Testament guy. You can take it up with him. He's dead. But that, he said it. Inspired by the Spirit of God. Because if you're following Jesus, He leads, He renews, He does those things. Like that, that's who He is." [37:45] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "What is God's will for my life? The problem with that question is when we ask it, we tend to be asking it looking for one answer. Like, this is God's will in this box. Here it is. Problem is when I was 16, I was asking God, what's your will for my life? And it was to be a student pastor. God's will for my life was also to be a family pastor at one time. And then, church plant pastor and lead city church. His will for my life was to be a dad. His will for my life was to be a husband. His will for my life was to do financial things for people, financial planning and management, things like that. There's a lot of things that God's will is." [42:44] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "You have to believe that God knows better than you do. And you've got to believe that God cares more than you do. That's the gist of it. We don't. We go, God doesn't know really that this is best. And so we hold things. We hold our finances. We hold a relationship. We hold our schedule. We hold a career. And we don't go, Jesus, I'll just follow you every day of the week. Because we don't really trust Him every day of the week. So maybe your next step is just praying, God, help me believe that you know better than me. And help me believe that you care more than I do. Because He does. He does." [50:20] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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