Trusting the Good Shepherd | Pastor Curt Taylor

Devotional

Day 1: Waffle Makers and the Simplicity of Trust

The joy of a child spotting a waffle maker in a cheap hotel mirrors the rest found in trusting God’s provision. Children don’t strategize happiness—they receive it. Psalm 23’s “green pastures” aren’t about perfect circumstances but surrendering to the Shepherd’s care. Rest isn’t inactivity; it’s believing God’s voice matters more than others’ opinions. Like kids unburdened by budgets or expectations, we thrive when we stop overcomparing and overperforming. True rest begins when we trade striving for childlike dependence. [03:11]

“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3, ESV)

Reflection: What “adult” worry—about image, control, or others’ approval—keeps you from resting in God’s care today? How might childlike trust simplify your heart?

Day 2: When Insecticide Explodes

The man who blew up his apartment trying to kill a cockroach shows how fear magnifies small problems. We often overreact to anxieties, creating bigger messes than the original issue. Psalm 23’s “still waters” come not by eliminating threats but trusting the Shepherd’s presence. Fearful striving—whether people-pleasing or crisis-solving—steals peace. Rest grows when we release the illusion of control and let God handle what we cannot. [27:45]

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7, ESV)

Reflection: What “cockroach-sized” fear are you over-managing? How would prayer, not panic, shift your response today?

Day 3: The Sacred Ordinary of Family Dinners

Research shows family meals shape identity more than achievements—a mirror of how God grounds us in relationship, not performance. Psalm 23’s “paths of righteousness” aren’t about grand accomplishments but daily faithfulness. Just as kids find security in routine meals with loved ones, we flourish when rooted in God’s unchanging love. Rest comes not from proving our worth but receiving it at the table He prepares. [35:15]

“These words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house.” (Deuteronomy 6:6–7, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you prioritized productivity over presence—with God or others? How might a “family dinner” mindset deepen your rest?

Day 4: Right-Side-Up Sheep

A cast sheep—stuck on its back, helpless—pictures our need for the Shepherd’s rescue. We exhaust ourselves trying to “flip” our lives through self-help or hustle. Psalm 23’s restoration isn’t self-improvement but surrender. Like the shepherd steadying the sheep, God doesn’t rush our healing. True rest begins when we stop thrashing and let Him reset our souls. [29:30]

“He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:3, ESV)

Reflection: What area of your life feels “stuck” or upside down? How might waiting on God’s timing, not your effort, bring peace?

Day 5: Zigzag Paths and Unseen Dangers

Israel’s winding exodus reminds us God’s path often feels illogical. Sheep don’t see cliffs or predators; the Shepherd does. Psalm 23’s “valley” isn’t a detour—it’s the route to deeper trust. Our frustration with God’s timing or direction reveals misplaced trust in our own plans. Rest grows when we believe His zigzags protect us, even when we can’t see why. [32:13]

“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: Where are you resisting God’s “zigzag” path for you? What would it look like to trust His view over your limited perspective today?

Sermon Summary

Psalm 23 sets the tone by naming the Lord as the Shepherd who leads, not just supplies. Green pastures and still waters frame a normal place where life is steady, but the focus is less on scenery and more on trust. Biblical rest in this Psalm is not simply stopping or taking a nap; rest is the soul’s settled trust in God. When the Shepherd “makes” the sheep lie down, the guidance carries intention, not coercion. The sheep lie down because the Shepherd’s voice is trusted, not because the grass is soft or the water is calm.

The cultural script says pile on busyness and chase approval. Psalm 23 breaks that spell. Isaiah says all like sheep have gone astray, which is why the heart drifts toward other voices and lesser paths. Jesus answers that burden with an easy yoke and real rest for the soul. His invitation releases the pressure to prove and replaces it with attachment to his gentle, lowly heart.

The green pastures and still waters become livable when the Shepherd handles what keeps sheep from resting. Philip Keller’s shepherding lens is helpful here: fear must be calmed, friction with other sheep must be addressed, pests and distractions must be quieted, and hunger must be satisfied. Trust answers fear as the sheep take their cue from the Shepherd rather than the shadows. The Shepherd also mends relationships, reduces the noise of constant distraction, and teaches contentment beyond the hunger for more.

“He restores my soul” pictures a cast sheep flipped on its back, helpless until the Shepherd lifts, steadies, and sets it right. Restoration in the Hebrew imagination names the whole self, not just inner feelings. The movement of the Psalm is crucial: restored souls get placed on right paths for his name’s sake. Exodus 15 echoes this leading, showing a Shepherd who sometimes takes a zigzag route to avoid unseen dangers. The sheep see the next step; the Shepherd sees the terrain.

Family dinner is a down-to-earth parable of this Psalm. Identity grows where love is steady, presence is normal, and no one has to strive to be someone. The Shepherd’s table offers the same gift. Psalm 23 calls for that freedom now, not just at seventy. The Shepherd’s voice gets the final say, and in trusting it, the soul finds rest and the feet find the right path.

Key Takeaways

1. Biblical rest is trusting the Shepherd [11:36] Biblical rest is not the absence of activity but the presence of trust. The soul settles when the Shepherd’s voice outranks the noise of ambition and anxiety. Green pastures matter less than the One who says, lie down here. Rest is not doing nothing; it is relying on Someone. [11:36]
2. Jesus trades striving for soul-rest [16:25] Anxiety swells when identity hangs on success, looks, or approval. Jesus offers an easy yoke that relocates worth from performance to his gentle and lowly heart. The burden lifts when his verdict matters most, freeing the heart to work from love, not for it. [16:25]
3. Trust displaces fear and friction [20:05] Fear fades as confidence in the Shepherd grows, not because danger vanishes, but because his presence reframes it. The Shepherd also moves into relational friction, healing what keeps the flock on edge. Trust does not ignore threats; it entrusts them, and that is when the soul can finally lie down. [20:05]
4. Restored souls walk righteous paths [30:40] Restoration is whole-self renewal, like a cast sheep lifted, steadied, and set right. The Shepherd does more than soothe; he sets a direction for his name’s sake. Sometimes the route zigzags to avoid unseen harm, but the safest line is the one drawn by his hand. [30:40]
5. Presence beats distraction and excess [34:46] Devices promise escape but thin out attention and connection, starving the soul of presence. Grounded identity grows where love is steady and relational, like unhurried meals that remind a child who they are. The Shepherd’s care creates that same rootedness, teaching contentment over endless more. [34:46]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:49] - Happiness peaks and dips
[02:21] - Vacations across life stages
[05:05] - Freedom from opinions
[06:29] - Psalm 23 for now
[08:49] - Four life places in the Psalm
[10:54] - Biblical rest is trusting
[12:54] - Why false rest fails
[14:53] - Sin makes good things ultimate
[16:25] - Jesus’ easy yoke invitation
[19:17] - Four conditions for sheep to rest
[22:46] - Distractions, devices, and hunger
[28:22] - Cast sheep and restoration
[31:26] - Zigzag paths and protected leading
[36:40] - Today’s promise and call to trust

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- Psalm 23 (ESV)
- Isaiah 53:6 (ESV): All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way.
- Matthew 11:28–30 (ESV): Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Observation questions

Psalm 23:2 says God "makes me lie down in green pastures." What four conditions must be met for sheep to rest, according to Philip Keller’s insights? [19:17]
How does the Hebrew understanding of "soul" in Psalm 23:3 differ from modern Western ideas? [29:58]
In Exodus 15:13, Moses describes God leading Israel to His "holy abode" (pasture). How does this connect to the zigzag path Israel took in the wilderness? [31:26]
What practical example does the sermon use to illustrate how grounded identity forms (like family dinners)? [34:46]

Interpretation questions

Why does trusting the Shepherd displace fear, even when danger hasn’t disappeared? [20:05]
How does Jesus’ invitation to take His “easy yoke” (Matthew 11:28–30) address the cultural pressure to prove our worth through achievement? [16:25]
The sermon contrasts “false rest” (e.g., TV) with biblical rest. Why do temporary distractions fail to restore the soul long-term? [12:54]
What does the zigzag path in Exodus 15 reveal about the difference between a sheep’s perspective and the Shepherd’s? [32:13]

Application questions

When have you felt like a “cast sheep” (helpless and unable to fix yourself)? What would it look like to let the Shepherd restore and steady you in that situation? [28:22]
Identify one area where fear or others’ opinions currently drives your decisions. How could trusting the Shepherd’s voice reframe your next step? [05:05]
What distraction (e.g., devices, busyness) most often pulls you away from relational presence with God or others? What small habit could help you “quiet the pests”? [22:46]
How might prioritizing “family dinner” moments (unhurried, identity-shaping connection) in your relationships reflect the rest Psalm 23 describes? [34:46]
Where are you tempted to believe “I’ll be happy when ______” (success, approval, etc.)? How does Jesus’ easy yoke challenge that mindset? [17:38]
Describe a time God led you on a “zigzag path” that confused you initially. How did His guidance later make sense? [32:44]
What practical step could you take this week to shift from striving for approval to resting in the Shepherd’s unconditional love? [36:40]

Sermon Clips

38s

“Because I'll never be enough. I'll I'll always look to somebody else and say, well, but they are doing a better job than me and so I need to do that as well. And Jesus is saying, what would it look like if you remove that burden and instead Jesus says, I have a yoke that is easy, that that I've come to give you rest, that that I'm instead of getting so focused on what everybody else thinks, I'm trusting the voice of my shepherd. I'm saying I care more about Jesus' path and Jesus' direction and and Jesus and what he wants in my life. I'm gonna trust that voice more than all these other voices.”

35s

“There's this beautiful picture in the second and third verses in Psalm 23 Where God is saying that he wants to give us a restored soul and a right path and green pastures and still waters. That that's the promise that's available to us. And it's not for the future. It's for today. It's for right now. It's for whatever you're going through. And the way that we experience that primarily is through trust. It's trusting our shepherd's voice above any and all other voices. Let's pray.”

39s

“when when we start to get less and less and less happy, it's because we start to believe in the lie that the way that I'm gonna be the happiest is based off of everybody else's opinion of me. And so I care so much what everybody else thinks. And so what that ends up being is this burden that I'm placing on my life where I'm striving and I'm trying to achieve. And I think that my worth and my value, my identity is wrapped up in how smart I am or how good looking I am or how successful I am or how athletic I am or how many accomplishments I can have in life, then the problem with that is that it's a burden that I can carry that that eventually it wears me down.”

27s

“Because we live in a culture that is so busy that we read this passage and we think that what the passage means is to just stop. But biblical rest is not just resting like taking a nap or stopping or or being less busy. Biblical rest is the soul's settled trust in God. That in order for a sheep to lie down at rest, it means that the sheep fully trusts the shepherd.”

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Trusting the Good Shepherd | Pastor Curt Taylor

Devotional

Day 1: Waffle Makers and the Simplicity of Trust

Day 2: When Insecticide Explodes

Day 3: The Sacred Ordinary of Family Dinners

Day 4: Right-Side-Up Sheep

Day 5: Zigzag Paths and Unseen Dangers

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Trusting the Good Shepherd | Pastor Curt Taylor

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