#40 - Joby Martin // Navigating Life's Challenges

The Lord is my shepherd , and when you know that , when you know that the one that cares for you and knows you and calls you by name is the Lord of the universe , david then says and I shall not want . It literally means in Hebrew and I shall not be in want .

Not want it literally means in Hebrew and I shall not be in want that when I have the Lord as my shepherd , I have everything that I could ever want and need in this world . So let me ask you this Can you say that , or is there some stuff that you want ? And I look at that and I go uh-oh , because I want all kinds of stuff .

I want the Georgia Bulldogs to win another national championship , kind of stuff . I want the Georgia Bulldogs to win another national championship . I want to shoot a big old elk this next year . I want every new piece of origin camo that I see .

There's all kinds of things that I want , but ultimately what David is saying here is the only one that can fulfill our deepest wants and needs is the one that created us . You see , you were created by God and for God , and he will be the only one that will ever be able to fully and finally satisfy all of your wants and needs .

You see , in the beginning , out of an overflow of God's love for God's self , god creates image bearers . And the reason that God made man is not because he needed anything . It's not like God was lonely in heaven . He was not lonely .

God , the Father , God the Son and God , the Holy Spirit have always been and will always be in a perfectly submissive love relationship with himself , fulfilling everything he needs . God needs nothing and yet , because of an overflow of God's love for God's self , it spills out into creation .

God speaks into existence , it its canvas unto his own glory , with mountains and streams and oceans and stars and galaxy that all shout back praise to his name . And he said that's good .

But then God takes the dust of the earth that's Adama in Hebrew , it's where we get the English name Adam and he forms together the dust of the earth into the shell of the first human being . But the Bible says he was not yet a living creature . And then the Bible says in the book of Genesis that God breathes the ruach of life into the nostrils of Adam .

There's a lot there . God went face to face with the very first man and breathed into him the ruah . Ruah is a Hebrew word . It means spirit or it can mean breath . It's the same thing .

But when God breathed his breath , when God breathed the spirit of himself into the very first image bearer check this out Adam , our very first human ancestor , opened his eyes and he is face to face with his heavenly father , who happens to be his creator , and he knew this is what I was made for .

And that face-to-face relationship was imprinted into the heart of Adam and he knew that's what he needed . God goes on to say it's not good for man to be alone . So he gives him a helper , he gives him Eve , and their relationship together was to be a reflection of the Godhead himself . And it goes exceedingly well in my Bible for less than a page .

And then Adam and Eve both sin and when they do , it fractures this relationship . A friend of mine , pastor Ryan Britt , here at the Church of 1122 , he said that the fallout of sin is like the fallout of one of those old nuclear movies , that when that bomb would go off , that ash would be on everything , and sin gets on everything .

And this is why , by the way , you have yearnings and longings in your heart . This is why you want more . This is why you want to be known . This is why you want to be loved . This is why you want a bigger house . This is why you want more cash in the bank . This is why you want to be respected .

The enemy knows these things , so he constantly throws these lures at you lest the eyes , lest the flesh and the pride of life . And we continuously think that if I just had a little bit more stuff , then I would be fully and finally satisfied .

But some of you men have enough life under your belt to realize there are no temporary things of this world that could ever fully and finally satisfy . And so you got the job you always wanted . You got enough money in the bank , at least more than you thought you would .

You got a wife laying next to you in bed and a couple of kids and they're not terrible . You've got the American dream two car , garage , truck , boat . You've got some stuff . And you lay your head on the pillow and think is this it ? And the answer is this , ain't it , bro ? This is not what you were created for .

What you were created for is to know the almighty God as your shepherd . And when you have a right relationship with him , when you realize that you were created by God , for God and he and he alone is the only one that can scratch that eternal itch deep down in your soul , then you will be able to say the Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want .

And the crazy thing , the counterintuitive thing , is , when you get to that place , then , and only then , can you actually enjoy your wife and your family and your truck and your house and your boat , and then your job and all of these things that God has given you as a gift , because your worship doesn't terminate on those things that will never satisfy .

Those things are a tool to aim you to God , to give him and him alone , glory . And you could say with contentment that surpasses understanding the Lord is my shepherd , I've got everything I need . I pray that for you this day .