Live Free with Josh Howerton - Renew Your Soul | Ep. 378 | Wednesday, July 17, 202

Episode Date: July 17, 2024

Biblical sheep are not cowardly blind followers. They trust and follow a good shepherd who wants to protect and provide for them. When we think of green pastures, we picture a field of rolling green grass, but in reality, the Bible depicts patches of grass that are just big enough to feed the herd that day. Today, trust God to lead you to what you need. For more information, visit lakepointe.church/dailydrive

Thanks for tuning in today. For more biblical teaching and worship, join us for our church online live weekend services. Also, if this podcast was helpful to you, would you be sure to rate, review, and share this podcast to help get the word out. For more information about all digital ministries of Lake Point, text drive to 20411.

What is up, everybody? This is the Daily Drive, and I am Mike Bro, and we are taking one of the most loved songs, ever written and asking God to download it into our hearts it's Psalm 23 you can find it in the middle of the Bible we read it yesterday and I'd like to start by reading it once again and just let these words wash over you David writes the Lord is my shepherd I lack nothing he makes me lie down in green pastures he leads me beside quiet waters he restores my soul he guides me along the right paths for

His namesake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You annoy my head with oil. My cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

You know I hate how the term sheep got hijacked several years ago? when politically motivated people started labeling other people as weak, cowardly blind followers by using the term sheep? It's unfortunate because that's what God calls us. And I love how David, who was a strong leader, a military guy, a warrior, a respected king. I love how he humbles himself and defers the leadership to God and labels himself as a sheep. He says, I'm a sheep. and the Lord is my shepherd.

I need one of those. And because the great I am is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He is my provider. Sometimes he gives me what I want, but he always gives me what I need. In fact, my shepherd, he says, makes me lie down in green pastures.

Now, I'm from central Kentucky. I grew up there. There are millions of acres of lush pastures where thoroughbred horses graze, and I've always pictured this verse in Psalm 23 as such, like God will take me to places where I'm rolling around in the bluegrass doing like grass angels. But here's the reality of what David was writing about. If you've ever been to Israel, then you know what green pastures look like. It looks nothing like Kentucky.

There are rocky, barren hillsides everywhere, and scattered amidst the rocks are these little tufts of grass, where a drop of rain fell or dew collected beneath the rock a few blades of grass can just sprout up. There's not much, but there's enough. And this totally changed my perspective. The shepherd leads the sheep to places, not where they can roll around in a lush meadow, but where they will find enough grass for that day, and that he leads them on to another pasture for the next day. And the sheep don't stress out about having enough grass. The shepherd finds it, for them. You might remember how Jesus taught us all to pray. Father, give us this day, our daily bread. You see, God as our shepherd doesn't promise us a life of luxury or stockpiled supplies.

He's a lead us through this day kind of shepherd, and he will lead you and me to the right pasture needed for the moment. We may not see it right now, but a new tuft of grass will always be there in the morning. We said yesterday that grief is something that comes into everybody's life. There's an old song I've always loved by a guy named, I think it was Pat Green, nominated for a Grammy way back in like 2003. It was called Wave on Wave. You might have heard it. It's kind of like, and it came upon me, wave on wave. That's how grief feels.

Like waves, crashing on the rocks, just this relentless powny. One day you're feeling better, then anger rises up, then bitterness, then regretting. then lost, then hopelessness, then loneliness, just wave, on wave, on wave, on wave. And David's song says, here's what the good shepherd does. He leads me beside quiet waters. He refreshes my soul. He leads us away from the crashing waves and brings us to a place of peace. It's a place where the pounding stops, and we experience something deep in our soul,

and I wish I could explain it to you, but like Scripture says, it's unexplainable. It transcends human understanding. It's something you must experience for yourself, and only Jesus can give that to you. You know, Jesus told us the peace he gives is a peace the world cannot give. The world defines peace as the absence of conflict. Jesus' peace is calm in the middle of your chaos. He goes deep, he goes to the soul, to the real us, to the broken place where grief resides, and he refreshes our soul. Let's stop there for now, and we'll pick this back up tomorrow, but why not let him be your

shepherd today? Why not even pray that prayer right now? Lord, today, why don't you be the shepherd, and I'll be the sheep, and let him lead you to green pastures and quiet water, and let him refresh your soul. Thanks for tuning in today. For more biblical teaching and worship, join us for our church online live weekend services. Also, if this podcast, was helpful to you, would you be sure to rate, review, and share this podcast to help get the word out? For more information about all digital ministries of Lake Point, text drive to 20411.