FOLLOWING THE SHEPHERD

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PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS

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Today we are going to examine the great message of Psalm 23 from a perspective that might seem a little odd. In this psalm, we can see the way in which the Lord prepares us for times of hardship and trial and we can also see the way that the Lord uses that preparation to enable us to persevere and stand strong in the midst of real trial. 

Let us begin by looking at the first three verses of the Psalm…

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 

3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

(Psalms 23:1-3 NIV11)

Building Resilience

The Lord is at work in those who are willing to receive and follow his leadership. As we embrace his presence and right to lead, the Lord moves from being a divine and abstract concept to being a personal and loving shepherd. 

One of the works that the Lord desires to do in those who allow him to lead is to build up a store of strength and character that will be used to enable us to persevere in times of trial. 

The Lord is rightly called a shepherd as he seeks to provide loving and caring leadership for us. The Lord is not distant and disconnected. The biblical God is one who engages, gets involved, is present, and desires to be a part of all areas of our lives. 

Verse 1

The Lord is rightly called a shepherd as he seeks to provide loving and caring leadership for us. The Lord is not distant and disconnected. The biblical God is one that engages, gets involved, is present, and desires to be a part of all areas of our lives. 

As we allow the Lord to lead, to be real and present, we will find contentment in his provision. The more that we understand his love, the more that we enjoy his gifts and blessings, the more we will be able to say that we too lack nothing, even though our earthly existence is marked by our constant needs and desires. 

Verse 2

In the good days, the Lord leads us to enjoy creation and the fruits of our labors. The Lord desires that his people be marked by a sense of peace and calm that cannot be encountered through business and entertainment. 

The Lord wants us to rest in him. And so we are given the gift of sabbath, of God-focused peace and relaxation. If you allow the Lord to lead you away from your constant need to be entertained and productive in your daily tasks, then you too, will be able to lie down and rest under the watchful eye of the Great Shepherd. 

Verse 3

He refreshes my soul. The Hebrew word for soul is “nephesh.” This term is used to describe the whole of a person, not just some ephemeral concept of a spirit or ghost. The point here is that when we allow the Lord to lead, he will restore, complete, fix or broken body, our weary mind, and our anxious spirit. 

He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

But the work that the Lord desires to do in you today will be for your benefit and for the good of those around you when you encounter days of pain and hardship. We cannot persevere until we allow the Lord to build us up. 

The Lord desires to build up the willing and make strong the obedient. But we are not always so willing to follow the Great Shepherd. We fight against doing what the Lord calls us toward because we have other plans for our lives. 

But the work that the Lord desires to do in you today, will be for your benefit and for the good of those around you when you encounter days of pain and hardship. We cannot persevere until we allow the Lord to build us up. 

In Christ, 

Ryan Laden

PASTOR RYAN LADEN


Works at MTN. CHURCH

Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church

Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at Baylor University

Studied at Texas Tech University

Went to Castle Hills First Baptist

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Copyright © 2024 Ryan Laden – All Rights Reserved.

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