What Are You Trying To Earn From God?
There are certain situations where people become incredibly unreasonable, and one is when somebody offers to pay for your meal. We have a hard time letting somebody else give us something.
Why is it sometimes easier to give than to receive?
It’s almost like we don’t know what to do with something good when we haven’t done anything to deserve it. And that same instinct shows up in other areas of our lives too. Think about how we talk about rest and how difficult it can be for us to rest when we don’t feel like we’ve done enough.
Why is it sometimes easier to give than to receive?
It’s almost like we don’t know what to do with something good when we haven’t done anything to deserve it. And that same instinct shows up in other areas of our lives too. Think about how we talk about rest and how difficult it can be for us to rest when we don’t feel like we’ve done enough.
We’ve learned to treat rest like a reward for being productive.
We see rest as something we receive only after we’ve accomplished enough to deserve it. We can stop working without ever really experiencing rest. Nobody tells us we haven’t earned the right to rest, we tell ourselves.
But why?
Think about what makes you valuable. A lot of us would answer that by listing our accomplishments – the ROI (Return on Investment). ROI is a great way to measure an investment, but it’s a terrible way to measure a soul.
So many of us struggle to receive what God is offering because we’re still trying to prove we’re worthy of it.
As a kid, going on vacation is pretty incredible. Somebody else does all the work and planning, while a kid just enjoys it. This is because somebody who loves them is taking care of them.
Psalm 23
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.
Who’s doing everything?
The Shepherd.
These verses contain four actions, and none of them begin with the sheep. The Shepherd initiates their care. He describes a Shepherd who cares for His sheep because they belong to Him.
Makes
Psalm 23
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures…
He doesn’t simply say the Shepherd allows the sheep to lie down. He makes them lie down because He knows they need rest. He knows when they need nourishment.
Psalm 23
2 … he leads me beside quiet waters,
There’s a difference between knowing somebody needs something and actually caring enough to respond. Genuine care doesn’t stop recognizing a need. It responds to it. And that’s what the Shepherd does.
But why?
Think about what makes you valuable. A lot of us would answer that by listing our accomplishments – the ROI (Return on Investment). ROI is a great way to measure an investment, but it’s a terrible way to measure a soul.
So many of us struggle to receive what God is offering because we’re still trying to prove we’re worthy of it.
As a kid, going on vacation is pretty incredible. Somebody else does all the work and planning, while a kid just enjoys it. This is because somebody who loves them is taking care of them.
Psalm 23
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.
Who’s doing everything?
The Shepherd.
These verses contain four actions, and none of them begin with the sheep. The Shepherd initiates their care. He describes a Shepherd who cares for His sheep because they belong to Him.
Makes
Psalm 23
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures…
He doesn’t simply say the Shepherd allows the sheep to lie down. He makes them lie down because He knows they need rest. He knows when they need nourishment.
Psalm 23
2 … he leads me beside quiet waters,
There’s a difference between knowing somebody needs something and actually caring enough to respond. Genuine care doesn’t stop recognizing a need. It responds to it. And that’s what the Shepherd does.
God’s care isn’t distant, it’s personal.
This is where we might struggle: it’s one thing to believe God cares about people, but another to believe God cares about ME.
Maybe you find yourself asking God, “Do You care that I’ve been praying and nothing seems to be changing?”
But David describes the Shepherd as not needing the sheep to demonstrate that they’ve done enough to deserve His care and attention.
Maybe you find yourself asking God, “Do You care that I’ve been praying and nothing seems to be changing?”
But David describes the Shepherd as not needing the sheep to demonstrate that they’ve done enough to deserve His care and attention.
Needing a Shepherd isn’t evidence that you’ve failed. It’s the very nature of being a sheep.
They’re sheep, they need a shepherd. You are not a burden to the Shepherd because you need His care. The Shepherd isn’t standing at a distance. He’s actively caring for His sheep.
Psalm 23
3 … He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
He Restores
Maybe you think that God cares about you, but you’re still exhausted, your circumstances haven’t changed, and you’re still carrying what you walked in with.
Psalm 23
3 he refreshes my soul…
Sometimes we imagine that restoration means God removes whatever is making life difficult, but what about when He doesn’t?
Matthew 11
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
David says, “He refreshes my soul.”
Jesus says, “You will find rest for your souls.”
But how does Jesus begin the invitation? He simply says, “Come to me.”
Can you imagine if young children approached their parents with a list of everything they’d accomplished that day? It’s a silly thought. So why do we approach God with our own lists? Some of us are trying to earn a relationship with Jesus, others are trying to earn our place in a relationship we already have.
And all Jesus has been saying is, “Come to me.”
Matthew 11
28 … and I will give you rest.
That’s the care of the Shepherd. He doesn’t offer it because we’ve earned it, he offers it because of who He is.
Psalm 23
3 … He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
He Restores
Maybe you think that God cares about you, but you’re still exhausted, your circumstances haven’t changed, and you’re still carrying what you walked in with.
Psalm 23
3 he refreshes my soul…
Sometimes we imagine that restoration means God removes whatever is making life difficult, but what about when He doesn’t?
Matthew 11
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
David says, “He refreshes my soul.”
Jesus says, “You will find rest for your souls.”
But how does Jesus begin the invitation? He simply says, “Come to me.”
Can you imagine if young children approached their parents with a list of everything they’d accomplished that day? It’s a silly thought. So why do we approach God with our own lists? Some of us are trying to earn a relationship with Jesus, others are trying to earn our place in a relationship we already have.
And all Jesus has been saying is, “Come to me.”
Matthew 11
28 … and I will give you rest.
That’s the care of the Shepherd. He doesn’t offer it because we’ve earned it, he offers it because of who He is.
We don’t earn Jesus’s love. He invites us to receive it.
Matthew 11
29 …. for I am gentle and humble in heart…
That’s who you’re coming to.
Maybe the circumstances you’re praying about haven’t changed, or you’re still waiting for answers. But maybe you can admit you’re tired without feeling like you’ve failed, maybe you can face tomorrow without believing you have to prove your worth all over again, or maybe you can rest not because everything is finished, but because you belong to the Shepherd.
That’s where restoration begins.
Jesus isn’t asking us to bring Him our accomplishments, He’s asking us to come to Him.
29 …. for I am gentle and humble in heart…
That’s who you’re coming to.
Maybe the circumstances you’re praying about haven’t changed, or you’re still waiting for answers. But maybe you can admit you’re tired without feeling like you’ve failed, maybe you can face tomorrow without believing you have to prove your worth all over again, or maybe you can rest not because everything is finished, but because you belong to the Shepherd.
That’s where restoration begins.
Jesus isn’t asking us to bring Him our accomplishments, He’s asking us to come to Him.
Come to Jesus as you are, not as you think you need to be.
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