April 27th, 2022
Have you ever thought about what follows you? The Bible tells us some very specific things that should be following us, as believers and I want to share some thoughts with you about this from a very well-known passage of Scripture. Psalm 23 has been widely memorized, quoted, and colloquialized, but God showed me truth from it in a fresh way this week! It begins,
“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.” (Ps. 23:1-3)
These are familiar words, but how many of us actually live in the reality of this revelation? If you feel like you are chasing after God, toiling for provision, or striving to be righteous, you are not living in this truth, but in your own strength. We do have to make the decision to follow God. We do have to live with a single-minded, wholehearted devotion and we cannot walk away from Him. However, that doesn’t mean that we should constantly feel like we’re chasing after a God that is out of our reach. God told us in His Word that He is found by those who seek Him, and He opens the door to those who knock. He isn’t trying to keep Himself from us. We will not find Him without seeking with all of our hearts, but once we find Him, relationship and intimacy are promises of His word.
God’s people are compared to sheep throughout the Bible. Now, I’ve never been a shepherd or spent a lot of time (or any time) around sheep, but I know that they are herd-minded, peaceful animals. They are completely defenseless and rely on the protection of their shepherd. They sleep in peace without fear of wolves because he watches them. They move when He leads. They know his voice and come out of the herd if he calls them. The parallel is powerful! In the book of John, Jesus tells us that He is our shepherd, come to deliver us from every other master. He said,
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:10)
Jesus came to set us free from sin, which is the most brutal of all masters, ultimately leading to
death. Romans 6:14-16 says,
“Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteousness.”
When we choose to obey Jesus, He becomes the good shepherd of our soul and we hand over the responsibility for our own protection, provision, and even our own righteousness. This is hard for many because all they’ve known are brutal taskmasters. The Israelites struggled to believe God for provision in the wilderness because they’d only known the abuse of the Egyptians, but God wasn’t like anyone they’d ever known! It’s the same for us. When God brings us out of sin, we have to seek Him in His Word to learn what He’s like. We have to learn to be led. We have to learn to trust him and rest, knowing He’s watching over us. We have to allow Him to lead us in paths of His righteousness. We have to learn the sound of His voice so intimately that we can hear His whisper when we’re alone or in a crowd of thousands. We are
His people, the sheep of His pasture (Ps. 100:3)!
Psalm 23 goes on to say in Verse 4,
“Even though I walk
through the valley of
the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.”
This is a very comforting passage of scripture! If you struggle with fear, this is one to meditate on until the truth takes root your heart. We have nothing to fear from evil! Why? Because He’s with us. This verse was a lifeline to me during a trial in my life. Fear is a liar that will make you feel trapped. It’s easy to get into a cycle of trying to figure out what causes fear and anxiety, but that actually will just lead to more bondage. The answer to fear is so simple. God loves us and He’s with us. If you struggle with fear, I encourage you to begin to say out loud, whenever you feel it come up: “I will fear nothing, because He’s with me.” When you understand that He loves you and He’ll never leave you, it will absolutely set you free. However, the reality of that revelation can only take root by consuming the truth into His word. It’s the truth that sets us free! Don’t try to fight fear with your understanding. The only thing that works is His word!
Psalm 23 concludes with,
“You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy
shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in
the house of the LORD forever.”
These are the verses that have actually been resonating in my heart, this week. See, so often we can get caught in a cycle of trying to chase God’s goodness and mercy. We try so hard not to miss what He has for us and to find what He wants us to do or be. The reality though is that when you live in the truth of His word, all you have to do is sit at your Father’s table. Live in the revelation that He is a Good Shepherd. He will watch over you. He will provide for you. He will protect you and keep you. At His table, He will pour out everything you need. When it says His goodness and mercy will follow us, it doesn’t mean they are chasing us. It means that when God pours out His goodness and mercy, our lives can’t contain it and we overflow those blessings everywhere we go! Jesus said in Mark 16:17,
“And these signs will follow those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
So, I ask you again, what follows you? The Bible tells us that the answer to that question should be: miracles. Goodness, mercy, and miracles follow those who believe. As God’s sheep, we trust and follow Jesus. We know His voice and learn to look into His eyes with the trust of one who knows how to be led. Then, and only then, will we be able to receive the overflowing blessing of heaven that God delights to pour out! Be encouraged this week that what you’ve been seeking is so much easier than you thought it was. Sit down at your Father’s table and trust Him to pour out everything you need. Jesus is the good shepherd and He laid down His life so that we will never have to. Death, hell and all that comes with them have been completely stripped of their power by the One who died on a cross with you in mind. He died so that we could live (John 10:10)! Receive the truth this week that absolutely everything you need is in His hands. He is good; He loves us; and He withholds nothing from those who walk righteously before Him (Ps. 84:11)!
“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.” (Ps. 23:1-3)
These are familiar words, but how many of us actually live in the reality of this revelation? If you feel like you are chasing after God, toiling for provision, or striving to be righteous, you are not living in this truth, but in your own strength. We do have to make the decision to follow God. We do have to live with a single-minded, wholehearted devotion and we cannot walk away from Him. However, that doesn’t mean that we should constantly feel like we’re chasing after a God that is out of our reach. God told us in His Word that He is found by those who seek Him, and He opens the door to those who knock. He isn’t trying to keep Himself from us. We will not find Him without seeking with all of our hearts, but once we find Him, relationship and intimacy are promises of His word.
God’s people are compared to sheep throughout the Bible. Now, I’ve never been a shepherd or spent a lot of time (or any time) around sheep, but I know that they are herd-minded, peaceful animals. They are completely defenseless and rely on the protection of their shepherd. They sleep in peace without fear of wolves because he watches them. They move when He leads. They know his voice and come out of the herd if he calls them. The parallel is powerful! In the book of John, Jesus tells us that He is our shepherd, come to deliver us from every other master. He said,
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:10)
Jesus came to set us free from sin, which is the most brutal of all masters, ultimately leading to
death. Romans 6:14-16 says,
“Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteousness.”
When we choose to obey Jesus, He becomes the good shepherd of our soul and we hand over the responsibility for our own protection, provision, and even our own righteousness. This is hard for many because all they’ve known are brutal taskmasters. The Israelites struggled to believe God for provision in the wilderness because they’d only known the abuse of the Egyptians, but God wasn’t like anyone they’d ever known! It’s the same for us. When God brings us out of sin, we have to seek Him in His Word to learn what He’s like. We have to learn to be led. We have to learn to trust him and rest, knowing He’s watching over us. We have to allow Him to lead us in paths of His righteousness. We have to learn the sound of His voice so intimately that we can hear His whisper when we’re alone or in a crowd of thousands. We are
His people, the sheep of His pasture (Ps. 100:3)!
Psalm 23 goes on to say in Verse 4,
“Even though I walk
through the valley of
the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.”
This is a very comforting passage of scripture! If you struggle with fear, this is one to meditate on until the truth takes root your heart. We have nothing to fear from evil! Why? Because He’s with us. This verse was a lifeline to me during a trial in my life. Fear is a liar that will make you feel trapped. It’s easy to get into a cycle of trying to figure out what causes fear and anxiety, but that actually will just lead to more bondage. The answer to fear is so simple. God loves us and He’s with us. If you struggle with fear, I encourage you to begin to say out loud, whenever you feel it come up: “I will fear nothing, because He’s with me.” When you understand that He loves you and He’ll never leave you, it will absolutely set you free. However, the reality of that revelation can only take root by consuming the truth into His word. It’s the truth that sets us free! Don’t try to fight fear with your understanding. The only thing that works is His word!
Psalm 23 concludes with,
“You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy
shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in
the house of the LORD forever.”
These are the verses that have actually been resonating in my heart, this week. See, so often we can get caught in a cycle of trying to chase God’s goodness and mercy. We try so hard not to miss what He has for us and to find what He wants us to do or be. The reality though is that when you live in the truth of His word, all you have to do is sit at your Father’s table. Live in the revelation that He is a Good Shepherd. He will watch over you. He will provide for you. He will protect you and keep you. At His table, He will pour out everything you need. When it says His goodness and mercy will follow us, it doesn’t mean they are chasing us. It means that when God pours out His goodness and mercy, our lives can’t contain it and we overflow those blessings everywhere we go! Jesus said in Mark 16:17,
“And these signs will follow those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
So, I ask you again, what follows you? The Bible tells us that the answer to that question should be: miracles. Goodness, mercy, and miracles follow those who believe. As God’s sheep, we trust and follow Jesus. We know His voice and learn to look into His eyes with the trust of one who knows how to be led. Then, and only then, will we be able to receive the overflowing blessing of heaven that God delights to pour out! Be encouraged this week that what you’ve been seeking is so much easier than you thought it was. Sit down at your Father’s table and trust Him to pour out everything you need. Jesus is the good shepherd and He laid down His life so that we will never have to. Death, hell and all that comes with them have been completely stripped of their power by the One who died on a cross with you in mind. He died so that we could live (John 10:10)! Receive the truth this week that absolutely everything you need is in His hands. He is good; He loves us; and He withholds nothing from those who walk righteously before Him (Ps. 84:11)!
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