Worship Devotional LXIII
Originally posted to the Facebook group on 3/6/2021.
Worship Devotional for 3/7/21
Those who believe in the name of Jesus have been forever changed, set free from sin and death, made new, brought to life, and given a new identity in the family of God. We have come to know Him as our Father, and also our Friend, for He walks with us and is able to relate to us in all of our suffering. This week we are singing about another name we have come to know Him by: our Shepherd.
Isaiah 53:6 says:
"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."
In John 10:11 Jesus says:
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
We've been singing and praising God for who He is to us as both a Father and a Friend — that He is everything that we need. Our hearts are prone to going astray like a sheep wandering off from the fold. Even though we have such amazing blessings and so many good things that we don't deserve, we still sometimes chase after lesser things that don't satisfy. We need a Shepherd to lead us to what is true and to guide us in what satisfies forever. We need a Shepherd to bring us by His grace back to His fold and to His green pastures when our hearts begin to stray. In Christ, we have the Shepherd we need. He is the good shepherd, who lays down His life for the sheep. We can praise Him like David did in Psalm 23:1-3, saying:
"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."
We've sung about God's faithfulness and love, and how He is faithful even when we are not. He proves His steadfast love and faithfulness for us every day as our Shepherd, drawing us back to Himself when our hearts turn to the things of the world that would tempt us to sin and distract us from the things that really satisfy. In the coming weeks leading up to Palm Sunday, we will be singing about the all-satisfying love of God and how we have more than enough in Christ.
This week as we sing of how the Lord is our Shepherd, we are praising God for His goodness. The Lord is the only One who is truly good, and He Himself defines what good is. Goodness is not defined by our opinions or feelings, but by the holy nature of God, who is righteous and just and perfect in all of His ways. He is always good no matter what, and evil cannot dwell in His presence (Ps. 5:4). Even in the midst of our pain and suffering, God remains good. That is why we know and repeat the saying, "God is good all the time; all the time, God is good." Through faith in Christ, we have come to experience and to know the goodness and mercy of God, for He has opened up our eyes and brought us into His fold by grace through faith in Him.
Psalm 28:9:
"The Lord is the strength of His people; He is a stronghold of salvation for His anointed. Save Your people, bless Your possession, shepherd them, and carry them forever."
Here are the songs:
1) Psalm 23 (Surely Goodness, Surely Mercy) by Shane & Shane
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."
2) Come Thou Fount (Above All Else) by Shane & Shane
This hymn, written by Robert Robinson in 1758, serves as a prayer that God would tune our hearts — which are so prone to wander — to sing praise for His grace. He is the Fount of every blessing, the Source of all that is good. Why do we go astray, chasing after things that are worthless? Praise the Lord who shepherds us and leads us in His ways, guiding us to life that is true and eternal in Him! The additional parts of this song by Shane & Shane are a prayer that God would cause our hearts to sing His praise and adore His name above all else, for His name is above every other name (Philippians 2:9-11).
No matter what you have been through in your life or what you may be going through right now, if you are a believer, then you can confidently and honestly testify along with this song to the goodness of God. He has always only ever been true and faithful and good. Because of His goodness and faithful love, we have been saved! He sent His Son for us to die and rise again so that we who have faith can be saved and have eternal life with Him, to dwell forever in the house of His goodness! His goodness and mercy and kindness have pursued us when we were sinners condemned to die, to take hold of our frail hearts and give us life. Therefore let us raise our hands and our voices and sing together the goodness of God!
Romans 5:6-11:
"For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person — though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life! And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have now received this reconciliation through Him."
4) In Tenderness by Citizens & Saints
God is good and He is sovereign. We didn't seek Him; He sought us and came to us while we were sinners to save us and bring us back to Himself. This calls for great and resounding praise! Oh, the love that sought us! Oh, the love that bought us! Oh, the grace that brought to the fold of God! Let us rejoice in the Lord our good Shepherd for His salvation and goodness, and let us give Him the praise He is worthy of.
John 6:44:
"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day."
Theme(s): God's Goodness, The Lord our Shepherd
Scripture references:
Psalms 23, 27, 28, 31, 34, 56, 65, 91, 100, 107, 116, 145, 146
Isaiah 40:1-11
Jeremiah 31:1-14
Lamentations 3:21-26
Ezekiel 34
Micah 5:2-4
Nahum 1:7
Matthew 9:35-38, 28:18-20
Luke 15:1-7
John 6:22-71, 10:1-30
Romans 5:1-11, 8:28-39
Ephesians 2:1-10
Philippians 2:8-18
Hebrews 12:3-13, 13:5-17
James 1 (esp. vv. 13-18)
1 Peter 2:24-25, 5:1-11
Revelation 7:9-17