A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23 By W. Phillip Keller – Chapter 6 Reflection:
Why does the Shepherd take you where He does?
Faced with this question, I asked myself; Exactly where has He led me? And then again; Why did He direct me there? The answers are in the list below, and I believe you will see clearly that a pattern quickly emerges.
- Gateway Church (2006)
- God led my wife and me to start attending church back when our oldest son was one year old. Like many people, I remember telling myself then that it was because I wanted Him to have a similar upbringing as I had, with the same morals and values. Looking back, it’s abundantly clear that God was up to so much more.
- A job at a local lawn and landscaping company (2008)
- I remember leaving the job I had before working for this lawn and landscaping company suddenly and unexpectedly. Long story short, I quit this job on a Wednesday night while working three hours from home. I drove home that night with no plan or idea of how I was going to provide for my family. God used the then pastor of Gateway church to introduce me to the owners of this father-son company. I spent the next six years working for two of the most Christ-like men I have ever known. The impact they have had on my life, and the lives of my family truly cannot be measured.
- Marriage (2011)
- My wife and I have been together for over 16 years now, but truth be told the first seven and a half years we were living in sin. We always said to ourselves that we would get married one day when we could afford it. It was a woman at Gateway Church, the pastor’s wife, that encouraged us just to do it. I have always believed this to be the “snowball,” rolling down the hill and getting bigger and bigger, that began us on our journey to where we are today.
- Gateway Family Retreat (2011)
- The same woman also encouraged us to go to our first Gateway Family Retreat, this, and a series of events that can only be explained by God, are what ultimately led me to Christ. It was at this retreat where I met Him for the first time. And mine and my family’s lives were forever changed.
- Operations Team (2011)
- I almost immediately felt a call to serve. Both to do my part and also to build relationships with other children of God. I joined the operations team, where I would serve for the next eight years. Not only did this allow me to exercise what I would later come to realize was my spiritual gift, but later, it also allowed me the opportunity to lead others.
- Mercy Ministry (2012)
- After years of struggling financially, mostly because of my own foolish choices, God led me into covenant with Him and Mercy Ministry of Gateway Church. My wife and I were previously both high school dropouts with ninth-grade educations, at best. We learned to balance our budget, I’ve now earned my degree, and my wife is currently working on hers. Due to His provisioning, we have finally reached a life, not of excess, but happy contentment, and we can provide a life for our children that they deserve.
- LifeGroup Leadership (2018)
- When I began leading a LifeGroup a year and a half ago, it was probably the first time I heard God calling me deeper. As written about previously in He Restores My Soul think I had become complacent. Looking at this now, I’m convinced that the pressure and stress of school was likely a contributor. But here it was as if God came saying ‘put down the milk, and it’s time to eat meat’ (Heb. 5:13-14).
- Jamaica Mission Trip (2019)
- Once again, God called me deeper. I had a deep desire to go on this trip for years but had continually talked myself out of it due to financial strain. I still didn’t have the money, but God said, ‘go.’ So I signed up and began fundraising, and because of some awesome people God placed in my life, in one week, I had all I needed and a little more. God forced me to rely on him, not only for funding, but also while I was there. This trip was perhaps the most significant and most impactful step to this point, as I found that it rekindled a fire in me that hadn’t been there for quite some time. After returning home, disciplines seemed to become a bit easier. I found myself more consistently in His word and more in tune with His Spirit.
- 23 Ministry (2020)
- By far, the biggest step on this list. If He was calling me deeper before He is now calling me to dive in headfirst. Learning to shepherd God’s people. Learning to interpret and teach His word. So much is still unknown as to where He is leading me here. At the time of this writing, we still have 16 months to go.
- hiskingdomhisglory.com (2020)
- Again it is difficult to see where He is leading me with this site. All I know at this point is I feel I have a lot to say about Him but often have trouble saying it. My prayer is that like God used Aaron as a voice for Moses, He will use this site as a voice for me.
Reflecting over these last 15 years, it becomes clear the reasons why He leads me where He does. Phillip Keller touches on all three in this chapter as well.
- For my good.
- Every place the Shepherd has led me has been for my good. He leads me to places where I will prosper, where I grow closer to Him, and where I grow closer to His people.
- For the good of others.
- Every point on this list can serve as a testimony to others, and a tool to point them to Christ.
- For His Glory.
- What could say more? At the end of the day, it is all for His glory. When my life prospers on account of him, my life brings Him glory. When my story shows others who He is, it brings Him glory. Every place He leads me, it is all for His glory.