The God Shot With Tara-Leigh Cobble

The God Shot: Psalm 23:4

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." (Psalm 23:4)Following God may take you through the valley of the shadow of death, but he protects us from danger using two tools: a rod and a staff. A rod is a long spear for fighting off external enemies like wild animals or thieves and a staff is what you see in Christmas plays where it's a stick with a hook on one end. This tool protects the sheep from their internal enemy themselves. Which tool do you think has more use? Thieves and wolves are rare, but a sheep can never escape itself. Sheep are curious animals with bad memories and poor eyesight so they need more protection from themselves than from external enemies. Our Good Shepherd protects us, sometimes even from ourselves. Our Good Shepherd protects us and draws us near to himself, which is good news for us all because he is where the joy is.

The God Shot: Psalm 23:3

"He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake." (Psalm 23:3)Have you ever felt like your soul could use some restoration like it's an old house that needs an overhaul? Maybe it's been damaged by years of misuse or lack of attention. But when God moves into that space and makes every inch his own, he begins restoring us. Shaping us into the people who can have peace in the chaos because we know he's our provider. We can extend a word to our enemies because he's our protector and he leads us in paths of righteousness, showing us how to honor him. We'll still trip and fall. We'll be wounded and he'll pick us up and carry us living a life of restoration and righteousness. That only happens when we know our good shepherd and trust that he is where the joy is.

The God Shot: Psalm 23:2

"He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters," (Psalm 23:2)In Bethlehem where David grew up and worked as a shepherd, there weren't many green pastures because it was mostly hilly landscapes and desert wastelands. But God is the shepherd who leads his sheep to the place of rest and food. Isn't it interesting that God has to make us lie down? Our hearts strive and our minds are spinning with anxiety, but God calls us to rest and he leads us beside still waters, not a raging river that will sweep us away when we're surrounded by rocky cliffs and desert wastelands. God offers us rest, nourishment, and refreshment. He's your good shepherd and he is where the joy is.

The God Shot: Psalm 23:1

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." (Psalm 23:1) Psalm 23 was written by King David, but before he became the king of Israel, his first job was being a shepherd. We all gotta start somewhere, right? David knew firsthand what makes a good shepherd: you have to feed the sheep, keep them safe from wolves and thieves or falling off cliffs, and get used to the smell of their manure. In light of that, David calls God his shepherd. God is the one who provides for him and protects him. When I was a kid, I thought the part of this verse that says "I shall not want" was a command, thou shalt not want anything. But what David is saying here is that God is such a good shepherd to him that he wants for nothing because he has everything he needs. Wherever you feel like you're in need today, may God show you how he's actively caring for you in every aspect of your life. May you know and believe that he's your good shepherd because he is where the joy is!

The God Shot: Revelation 21:6-7

"He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children." (Revelation 21:6-7)God gives to us without payment. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a gift. What do we even have to give to the God of the Universe in return for the water of life anyway? In the Gospel of John, Jesus refers to Himself as the water of life. We get Jesus free of charge. He rescues us and doesn't send an invoice. On the contrary, He sends a deposit, His Spirit, who comes to dwell in us again for free. When someone asked Martin Luther what he contributed to his salvation, he allegedly said, "sin and resistance". I can relate, yet the Father freely gives the Son and the Spirit to us. He's where the joy is!

The God Shot: Revelation 21:5

"He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:5)What things need to be made new in your life? What things are broken that have been completely out of your control? What things have you broken? Not only do others sin against us and wound us, but we sinned against others too. We all do so much breaking and part of our brokenness means we want to point the finger at others and all their breaking. Imagine a day where God reverses the curse, where all things are restored, set right where Heaven and Earth are fused together as one and we worship our reigning King Jesus. John says God is making all things new. All things! There is hope yet for all you've lost or broken, but I have a hunch that even our fulfilled hopes will pale in light of our King. He's where the joy is!

The God Shot: Revelation 21:4

‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)Every day you hear me say that He's where the joy is. Maybe you know Him and you still have pockets of deep sadness. In this life, sadness and joy can be mingled together, but as Paul said In 1 Thessalonians 4, our grief isn't hopeless. Someday, our ultimate hope will be fulfilled. Someday our God will renew, restore and recreate. And when he remakes things, He turns them into better versions of what they were. He made mankind good, but not perfect. But someday, He'll finish conforming us to the image of His Son Jesus. What a gift it is to be a child of God because no matter what sadness you're holding today, He's where the hope is and He's where the joy is!

The God Shot: Revelation 21:3

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God." (Revelation 21:3)Since God created the Earth, He has always been making a way to draw near to sinners like you and me. He didn't stay in the garden after Adam and Eve left, He pursued them and their offspring. Then He set up literal camp in the desert with sinners. Then He showed them where to build this temple so He could dwell in the midst of them in Jerusalem. And now God says, "we are His temple and His dwelling place". The Spirit of God dwells in you while also still dwelling in Heaven, but it won't always be that way. Someday, Heaven will descend to Earth and we'll celebrate our union with God. I'm so glad He never stops pursuing us because He's where the joy is!

The God Shot: Revelation 21:2

"I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband." (Revelation 21:2)"Whether you're male or female, if you're a part of God's universal church, then you are part of the bride of Christ. Through this imagery, scripture reveals the kind of eternal intimacy we get to have with the God of the universe. He treasures us and He's prepared a way to make a home with us forever. Through the finished work of Christ on the cross to the way His Spirit dwells in us and eventually through setting up His dwelling place on Earth, which is what this verse is about. When the New Jerusalem descends from Heaven to Earth, we will dwell with God in eternal intimacy. That is a day to look forward to! Jesus says He's coming soon and I say, "Come Lord Jesus" because he's where the joy is!

The God Shot: Revelation 21:1

"Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea." (Revelation 21:1)John wrote these words in a letter to the early church telling them all about the return of Jesus. His words still apply to us today as we wait for Jesus to come back and renew all things, including Heaven and Earth. Why would Heaven need to be renewed? Likely because it was marred by the sin of the Fallen Angels. Earth is renewed to just like it was after the flood, but according to this passage, the New Earth will have some different features. Yes, it will be the end of the world as we know it, but that's not a bad thing. It's not something to fear. As followers of Jesus, it's something to anticipate and delight in because regardless of how much God changes the Earth, when He recreates it we'll be living under the reign of King Jesus. He's where the joy is!