Yahweh Is My Shepherd: A Life Without Lack

May 03, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Yahweh’s Flock Without Fear

Sheep bolt at shadows. Their only defense is flight. But when the shepherd stands guard, they lie still. David wrote of green pastures, but sheep won’t rest unless four conditions are met: no fear, no fighting, no pests, no hunger. The shepherd’s presence alone calms their panic. Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice.” Fear melts when we fix our eyes on the Shepherd who walks ahead. [50:20]

The Good Shepherd doesn’t just feed—He defends. Wolves lurk, but His rod drives them back. Your anxiety isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s an invitation to lean into His leadership. Safety isn’t the absence of danger but the presence of the One who conquered death.

Where do you run when dread tightens your chest? Social media? Distractions? Control? Jesus stands in your storm, staff in hand. Will you let His “fear not” drown out the growls?

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
(Psalm 23:1, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to replace one specific fear today with trust in His nearness.
Challenge: Write down a fear and physically tear it up while praying, “Shepherd, I follow Your voice.”

Day 2: Chewing Cud in Green Pastures

Sheep eat until fields are dust. Left alone, they’d starve. The shepherd moves them to fresh grass, ensuring they never deplete His provision. David celebrated this rhythm: “He makes me lie down… He leads me.” Rest isn’t passive—it’s active trust in the Shepherd’s pacing. [53:09]

God’s rest isn’t a vacation from responsibility but alignment with His unforced rhythms. Like sheep, we resist stopping. We grind until our souls thin. Yet Jesus says, “I will give you rest.” His yoke fits because He carries the weight.

What pasture have you overgrazed? Work? Striving? Ministry? The Shepherd taps His staff, saying, “This way.” Will you let Him relocate your hustle to His harvest?

“He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.”
(Psalm 23:2, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one area where you’ve refused rest. Thank Him for His patient leading.
Challenge: Set a 10-minute timer to sit silently, hands open, repeating, “Shepherd, I receive Your rest.”

Day 3: Thirst at the Muddy Puddle

Sheep lap polluted water if the shepherd doesn’t intervene. David knew the lure of false satisfaction: stagnant relationships, hollow achievements, empty rituals. Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “Everyone who drinks this water will thirst again.” Only His well never runs dry. [56:51]

We settle for puddles when rivers await. The Shepherd’s brook flows clear, but getting there requires walking past quick fixes. His “living water” demands we release our muddy cups.

What contaminated source have you bent to drink from? What habit, relationship, or lie have you believed will quench your soul? The Shepherd stands at the spring. Will you walk?

“Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.’”
(John 4:13–14, ESV)

Prayer: Name one “muddy puddle” you return to. Ask for thirst for His stream.
Challenge: Replace one usual distraction today with 5 minutes reading John 4:1–26.

Day 4: Wool Snagged on Thorns

A stray lamb doesn’t know it’s lost until the shepherd hoists it home. Ezekiel paints God as the searcher: “I myself will seek My sheep.” Jesus left the ninety-nine for the one. Restoration begins when we stop pretending we’re fine and cry, “I’m stuck!” [01:02:25]

Pride says, “I’ll find my way back.” Humility whispers, “Shepherd, I’m here.” His crook pulls us from brambles, but we must stop thrashing. The flock isn’t complete until every wooly rebel’s restored.

Where have you wandered? What thicket hides you? The Shepherd’s lantern sweeps the hills. Will you bleat?

“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.”
(Ezekiel 34:11, ESV)

Prayer: Admit one area where you’ve resisted His rescue. Thank Him for pursuing you.
Challenge: Text a friend: “Pray I embrace the Shepherd’s correction today.”

Day 5: Hooves on the Right Path

Sheep follow. The shepherd doesn’t negotiate trails—He sets them. David wrote, “He leads me in paths of righteousness.” Movement isn’t optional; grazing grounds turn barren if flocks stagnate. Jesus didn’t say “admire Me”—He said, “Follow Me.” [01:08:26]

Faith rusts in comfort. The Shepherd’s path winds through valleys and storms, but His staff prods us onward. To stop is to starve. To walk is to feast.

What familiar pasture have you refused to leave? What new terrain is He nudging you toward? His voice calls ahead. Will you step?

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
(John 10:27, ESV)

Prayer: Ask for courage to take one uncomfortable step of obedience this week.
Challenge: Write “FOLLOW” on your wrist. At each sighting, pray, “Shepherd, keep me moving.”

Sermon Summary

Psalm 23 unfolds as a vivid portrait of God as a shepherd who knows and cares for each soul. The text begins by inviting awe at the vastness of God, then narrows to the intimacy of being shepherded. God’s character demands correct thinking: a purified, elevated concept of God leads the soul toward life; false images reduce God to an object and mislead the heart. Martin Buber’s I and Thou distinction clarifies the aim of faith: relationship with God must be a mutual, present encounter, not an impersonal utility.

The shepherding image shows how God meets human weakness. Sheep need relentless attention, protection from fear, community without friction, relief from parasites, and full feeding. To live “without lack” means to be placed in the shepherd’s care rather than trying to run one’s own life. The good shepherd offers four concrete promises: making the sheep lie down in green pastures (rest that requires freedom from fear and hunger), leading beside quiet waters (true refreshment rather than contaminated quick fixes), restoring the soul (rescue from wandering and rejoicing in return), and guiding along paths of righteousness (a shared, ongoing direction for the flock).

The text insists on surrender: humans must stop self-management and accept Christ’s lordship. Rest requires firing self-as-boss and receiving shepherd leadership. The pilgrimage of faith also requires movement; rest does not become stagnation. The shepherd keeps the flock moving to new pastures so life continues to grow. Practical warnings target modern substitutes: phones, shallow entertainment, busy spirituality, and half-hearted relationships all mimic refreshment while leaving the soul thirsty.

Finally, the invitation is both urgent and tender. God pursues the lost, celebrates restoration, and calls each person to follow. Communion functions as a visible act of trust in the shepherd’s provision. The text ends with a call to examine whether the Lord truly shepherds the soul and whether daily life moves with the shepherd toward abundant, sustained life.

Key Takeaways

1. Hold a big view of God Tozer’s warning presses that mental images shape spiritual trajectories. A lofty, holy view of God orients desires, informs obedience, and resists reducing God to a helpful tool. Cultivating reverent and expansive thoughts about God rearranges choices and forms a heart that moves toward God’s likeness. [36:41]
2. Reject I It relationship substitutes Buber’s contrast exposes how technology and utility strip presence from spiritual life. When God becomes functional or people become resources, genuine encounter dies and longing grows. Choosing presence over convenience requires sacrificial attention and disciplined removal of distractions that masquerade as spiritual life. [42:02]
3. Rest in the Good Shepherd Psalm 23 locates real rest in the shepherd’s care, not in self-soothing habits. True rest needs freedom from fear, community health, relief from spiritual parasites, and sustained nourishment. Embracing the shepherd’s lead means letting go of anxious self-management and learning to lie down in green pastures. [49:21]
4. Wait for living water Partial satisfactions contaminate the soul and can prove deadly over time. God’s water heals and becomes an inner spring, but it demands patience and routing toward covenantal sources of life. Refusing short-term fixes requires trusting the shepherd’s path to clean refreshment. [55:57]
5. Keep moving with the Shepherd Rest does not mean stagnation; the shepherd shifts the flock to new pastures for sustained life. Remaining fixed on past arrival invites spiritual decline because sheep will overgraze and starve. Discipleship calls for continual following, daily decisions to step with the shepherd into fresh growth. [68:26]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[34:18] - Opening video and reflection
[35:09] - Awe before the heavens
[36:41] - Tozer on God images
[37:50] - Sinai, commandments, and deity
[40:39] - I and Thou explained
[42:02] - Reject I It relationships
[44:31] - Sheep and shepherd observations
[49:21] - Promise one: green pastures
[55:57] - Promise two: quiet waters
[58:26] - Promise three: restoration of soul
[64:57] - Movement and discipleship
[73:08] - Communion invitation

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Psalm 23:1-3 (ESV)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.

Observation Questions

What four conditions must be met for sheep to lie down in green pastures, according to the sermon? ([50:20])
How does the sermon contrast "I-It" and "I-Thou" relationships in our spiritual lives? ([40:39])
What dangers arise when sheep drink from contaminated water sources, and how does this relate to modern substitutes for true refreshment? ([56:25])
What does the sermon identify as signs that someone is being led by the Shepherd rather than self-managing their life? ([55:04])

Interpretation Questions

Why does the shepherd need to keep moving the flock to new pastures, even after they’ve found a good spot? What might this imply about spiritual growth? ([01:04:57])
How does the image of God as a shepherd in Psalm 23 challenge common misconceptions about His character (e.g., distant, impersonal, or harsh)?
The sermon warns that partial satisfactions (like shallow entertainment) can “contaminate the soul.” Why might these substitutes be appealing yet ultimately harmful? ([57:15])
What does it mean for rest to require “firing self-as-boss” rather than merely taking a break from activity? ([55:04])

Application Questions

What “self-management” habits (e.g., anxiety-driven planning, relying on distractions) do you need to surrender to experience the rest described in Psalm 23? How could you practically “fire yourself” as the boss this week?
Identify one “contaminated water” in your life (e.g., a relationship, habit, or distraction) that temporarily satisfies but leaves you spiritually thirsty. What step could you take to seek “quiet waters” instead?
The sermon mentions “spiritual parasites” like busyness or half-hearted relationships. Which of these drains your soul most, and how could you invite the Shepherd to address it? ([52:26])
Where have you settled into spiritual stagnation (“overgrazing” a past season) instead of following the Shepherd’s daily leading? What would “movement” look like for you right now?
How could you intentionally cultivate an “I-Thou” relationship with God this week (e.g., removing distractions in prayer, prioritizing presence over productivity)?
The sermon warns against treating communion as a ritual. How might approaching it as an “act of trust in the Shepherd’s provision” change your posture during it? ([01:13:35])
What practical decision (e.g., setting boundaries with technology, prioritizing community) would help you “keep moving” with the Shepherd rather than clinging to comfort?

Sermon Clips

45s

#FollowTheShepherd

“God is on the move and we are meant to daily follow him. And this is how he defines discipleship. Take up your cross and follow me. Are you following or has your life been a life of pursuing chilling? Here's another way to ask the same question. Is the Lord your shepherd? If the Lord is your shepherd, see where he's going and go to the good pastures and the great delicious waters that he's leading you to. Because the craziest thing is, out of everything he's made, he cares about you. He loves you. He picked you. He died for you.”

40s

#LifeWithoutLack

“This is super bold. This is the claim the psalm is making. Life in the care of god, the good shepherd is a life without lack. I recommend a book by Dallas Willard on Psalm 23 called that, A Life Without Lack. And he says this, living a life without lack involves recognizing the ideas and systems that govern the present age and its respective cultures, and then replacing them with the idea system that was embodied and taught by Jesus. What he's saying here is there are different ways to approach what it means to live the good life, to live a life without lack. We have to identify who our shepherd is.”

53s

#MoveWithGod

“This was probably the biggest thing I took away from Psalm twenty three one through three. What I understood from it was this. You and I are familiar both probably for ourselves and churches we've been a part of, the tendency to want to just rest. And don't get me wrong, rest is good. We are actually invited to rest. Right? He makes us lie down. He leads us to cool. Right? But we emphasize these things. We emphasize laying down rest quiet, the chill that we hope to one day embody in our lives, and we forget that the shepherd's on the move. And the way to stay in step with the shepherd is to keep moving with him.”

42s

#AvoidFalseWater

“But this is what happens. They're parched, and so they find whatever moisture will satiate them first even if it's contaminated. It's not just gross. This contaminated water will actually oftentimes introduce bacteria in their system that can become fatal. But this is the same for you and I. As he's leading us and bringing us to the place where he wants to satisfy us, what do we do along the way? How many of us have satiated our thirst along the way instead of in the places God has prepared for us? Relationships that give us just enough closeness to feel alive and yet never leading to covenant.”

44s

#RestInProvision

“And so with that discomfort, they're unable to lay down. They don't lay down if they are full of parasites. And lastly, and you can imagine, they must be well fed. A sheep must be free of hunger to actually enjoy and lay down in the green pastures. I was actually told by someone after last service, this was cool, that the sheep actually, after they have got their fill, they have to lay down to digest. So this is what you need to know. A hungry sheep will always stay on its feet. So the question we are meant to come away with from this first promise that he makes me lie down is this question, are we able to rest ourselves?”

45s

#ChooseYourShepherd

“What what shepherd is dominating our modern culture, pop culture, the way of thinking of the world, and what exactly is God, especially in the person of Jesus Christ saying to us that he has to offer? You see, there are other paths and there are other shepherds. And so when Jesus says, I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the the father yet through me, he's he's giving you an invitation. Come on after me, follow me, be my sheep. I wanna be your shepherd. And so the invitation to life without lack comes with it four promises and that's the rest of the verses that we're looking at today.”

43s

#LetGodLead

“What do we need to do at that point? Well, we need to go ahead and fire our own way of leading ourselves. We need to fire our own way of thinking and receive the leadership of the good shepherd to follow him in his way. And he will, next promise, lead us beside quiet waters. Now there's nothing like a cold drink of fresh water when you're thirsty. Sheep require it just as much as we do. And fresh water is something that the shepherd's goal, not just green pastures, but fresh waters, is his goal to lead them to that. But sheep have a funny way of finding their own water along the way.”

44s

#YahwehMyShepherd

“And so here in the Psalms today, we're given a definitive statement about how we should think about God and our relationship with him, which might make it surprising on how God's described. Not as a God hidden away in a temple, an invisible presence, no fire or clouds, no other worldly image, not a god who's angry, vengeful, a god who's overwhelming. This definitive statement says this, Yahweh is my shepherd. It's quite a definitive statement about God when we're told that God is a jealous God. He's jealous for his name.”

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Yahweh Is My Shepherd: A Life Without Lack

Devotional

Day 1: Yahweh’s Flock Without Fear

Day 2: Chewing Cud in Green Pastures

Day 3: Thirst at the Muddy Puddle

Day 4: Wool Snagged on Thorns

Day 5: Hooves on the Right Path

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Yahweh Is My Shepherd: A Life Without Lack

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