Worship Devotional CXIV
Originally posted to the Facebook group on 3/19/2022.
Our Shepherd and Friend — His Goodness Pursues Us
Worship Devotional for 3/20/22
Jesus Christ our Lord, in John 15:1-17, says this:
"'I am the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper. Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes, and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.
'I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples.
'As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love. If you keep My commands you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commands and remain in His love.
'I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is My command: Love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn't know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father. You did not choose Me, but I chose you. I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. This is what I command you: Love one another.'"
To remain (abide) in Christ is to remain in His word. We were made for the glory of the One who created us in His own image, who has revealed Himself to us as our Father, our King, our Savior, and our Redeemer. Our souls find their true rest in Him alone. Only in His presence are we truly satisfied, is the true purpose of our very existence ultimately fulfilled. He made us for Himself, that He would delight in us and that we would delight in Him. This is what it means to be a Christian — that is, to be a follower of Christ. To follow Jesus is to delight solely in God and to live completely for His praise and glory, that He would Himself be delighted in us and rejoice over us for believing Him and trusting Him and loving Him, because He has loved us with an everlasting and unfathomably profound love.
It is in fact His love, and not ours, which is responsible for this hope that we profess. He made the first move when we had strayed far away from His truth. He is the One who called us back, who made a way for us to return and be reconciled to Him, who showed us grace and mercy when all we ever deserved was punishment. Our hearts had wandered far away from the One who is the very fount (source) of all that is good and true and holy, just as Isaiah declared in Isaiah 53:6:
"We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished Him for the iniquity of us all."
For through Jesus, and through His sacrifice on the cross for our sins, God has revealed in no uncertain terms another aspect of who He is to us: our great Shepherd. Jesus Himself said plainly in John 10:14:
"'I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.'"
Jesus proved that He is the Shepherd and we are the sheep, for when we were lost and astray, chasing after lies that can only bring death, wandering in stupidity and foolishness, He loved us still and gave His life to save us by suffering and dying on a criminal's cross. The Fountain of all blessing, the Source of all goodness, the Creator of all that exists, bled and died on a tree that you and I might be ransomed, redeemed, reconciled, and restored to glory and life! Now we who have believed in Him and have trusted in Him for eternal life have died to our old ways of sin and death and have been raised to life along with Christ, who conquered the grave and gave us eternal hope and joy.
So how do we live our lives on this earth, in a world where we are surrounded constantly by lies and deception, pressured to pursue things that do not satisfy in the end, where we must fight and make war with the forces of evil that threaten to kill and destroy by tempting us to abandon the true source of life? We find the answer — and great hope — in the name of the Lord our God: our Shepherd, our King, our Friend. We may be reminded of, and boldly declare, what David said in Psalm 23:
"The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life; He leads me along the right paths for His name's sake. Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, 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 anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live."
When we feel overwhelmed, or when we go through the darkest and hardest of times, we don't need to be afraid. Our Shepherd is with us, and He is in control. He is God, and there is no one above Him. This God, our God, has loved us enough to save us even though we rebelled against His holiness. He loves us so much that He no longer calls us His slaves, but His friends, though we don't even deserve the lowest place in His heavenly kingdom. He continues to love us with His faithful love, and calls us back time and time again even though we stumble and fall. No matter what you have been through, or whatever you are going through right now, know that the Lord loves you and is with you, is able and willing to provide for your needs, and longs to satisfy your deepest desires with His goodness and love as you delight yourself in Him and seek to live for His glory.
Jeremiah 31:10-14:
"Nations, hear the word of the Lord, and tell it among the far off coastlands! Say: The One who scattered Israel will gather him. He will watch over him as a shepherd guards his flock, for the Lord has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the power of one stronger than he. They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will be radiant with joy because of the Lord's goodness, because of the grain, the new wine, the fresh oil, and because of the young of the flocks and herds. Their life will be like an irrigated garden, and they will no longer grow weak from hunger. Then the young women will rejoice with dancing, while young and old men rejoice together. I will turn their mourning into joy, give them consolation, and bring happiness out of grief. I will refresh the priests with an abundance, and My people will be satisfied with My goodness. This is the Lord's declaration."
Songs:
Theme(s): Shepherd, Savior, King, Friend, Goodness, Blessing
Scripture references:
1 Samuel 7:12
Psalms 17, 23, 27, 28, 31, 34, 56, 62, 63, 65, 66, 91, 95, 96, 100, 107, 116, 145, 146
Isaiah 40:1-11, 53
Jeremiah 31:1-14
Lamentations 3:21-26
Ezekiel 34
Micah 5:2-4
Nahum 1:7
Matthew 9:35-38, 11:25-30, 28:18-20
Luke 15:1-7
John 6:22-71, 10:1-30, 15:1-17
Romans 2:1-11, 5:1-11, 8:28-39
Ephesians 2:1-10
Philippians 2:1-18, 4:4-9
Hebrews 2-4, 12:1-13, 13:5-17
James 1 (esp. vv. 13-18)
1 Peter 2:24-25, 4-5
Revelation 7:9-17