The Shepherds Journey

The Shepherds Journey

by Gerhard S Kock

Books Christianity

Season 1

Your Soul is Real

Your Soul is Real In Episode 11 of The Shepherd’s Journey, Gerhard invites listeners to consider a part of themselves they may have neglected—their soul. We live in a world that is highly focused on the body, the brain, productivity and outward appearance. Yet every person has an inner life that experiences joy, sorrow, guilt, loneliness, fear, hope, meaning and uncertainty. Psychology studies this inner world, medicine recognises its impact on wellbeing, spiritual traditions have spoken about it for thousands of years—and every human being encounters it personally. Just as the body sends signals when something is wrong, the soul can also send signals. Restlessness, emotional heaviness, relentless thinking, anxiety, fear, loss of hope and the inability to rest may all tell us that something deeper needs attention. A person can be physically still while internally they are running—replaying, worrying, analysing, anticipating, regretting and fearing. This episode therefore asks an uncomfortable but important questions.

Where the Parched soul learns to rest

Episode 10 — Green Pastures & Still Waters Where the Parched Soul Learns to Rest What if the green pastures and still waters of Psalm 23 are not simply describing a beautiful landscape—but describing the condition of a human soul? In Episode 10 of The Shepherd’s Journey, Gerhard and Dave explore the deeper meaning behind David’s words: “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.” The conversation begins with our constant search for the “greener pasture”—the next achievement, better job, bigger house, new experience, greater security or something else we believe will finally make us satisfied. But the more we acquire, the more we can find ourselves searching again. The episode explores the psychological idea of the hedonic treadmill and the way our desires can continually move the goalposts. Gerhard and Dave then consider what it means to “lie down.” A sheep that lies down is no longer desperately searching. It has found enough. It is satisfied. In the same way, true rest is presented as something deeper than physical relaxation. It involves emotional, mental and spiritual restoration—a willingness to stop striving, performing and trying to control everything. The episode introduces the powerful idea of being “parched in paradise.” We can change our surroundings, take the holiday, achieve the success or acquire the possessions we wanted, yet still carry our anxiety, insecurity, comparison and unfinished business with us. Changing our environment does not necessarily change what is happening within us. The discussion then turns to still waters. Stillness is not necessarily the absence of storms, grief, uncertainty or loss. Instead, the episode explores the idea that peace can come from confidence in the presence of the Shepherd even when circumstances remain difficult. One of the most confronting reflections is that still water reflects. When life becomes quiet, we may begin to see what we have been avoiding—the tired, frightened, thirsty or vulnerable person underneath our achievements and busyness. The question becomes: Are we avoiding the water because drinking means admitting that we are thirsty? The episode then becomes practical. Rather than waiting for the perfect holiday, perfect circumstances or some future destination before resting, listeners are encouraged to notice the ordinary gifts already in front of them: a meal, a friendship, ten quiet minutes, a breath, or a moment of prayer. The invitation is to move from acquiring to receiving. At the heart of the episode is a simple thought: The green pastures and still waters aren't primarily about what God gives us. They're about what happens when we trust the One who leads us. The pasture may change. Circumstances may change. Possessions, relationships and even our sense of security may change. But the central question remains: Who is leading me? Episode 10 leaves listeners with an invitation to stop searching for another pasture long enough to recognize the one they may already be standing in—to stop striving, begin receiving, and discover that the deepest rest is not necessarily found in what we possess, but in the presence of the Shepherd. A question to take with you: “What am I refusing to receive?” The Shepherd’s Journey — where Psalm 23 becomes more than theology; it becomes a way of making sense of life.

From Striving to Stillness - When the tired is tired

Have you ever been physically tired, yet somehow still unable to rest? In Episode 9 of The Shepherd’s Journey, Gerhard, Dave and Laura explore the deeper tiredness that exists beneath physical exhaustion—the weariness created by fear, striving, comparison, anxiety, loneliness and the constant pressure to find security and meaning. Through the words of Psalm 23, “He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters,” the episode asks an important question: What if true rest is not something we can achieve, but something we must learn to receive? The conversation explores why we continually chase the next achievement, possession, distraction or escape, while the deeper needs of the soul remain unmet. It examines the connection between chronic stress, the body's fight-or-flight response, the scarcity mindset and our longing for safety, belonging and meaning. The imagery of green pastures reveals a Shepherd who knows where genuine nourishment can be found, while the still waters challenge us to recognise the difference between genuine peace and the temporary relief offered by unhealthy coping mechanisms. The episode also considers how substances, screens and compulsive behaviours can appear to calm us while ultimately becoming masters rather than helpers. At the heart of the episode is a powerful movement: From craving to satisfaction. From striving to contentment. From rushing to rest. From unrest to peace. Rather than telling us to simply “calm down” or “try harder,” Psalm 23 points toward a Shepherd who creates the conditions in which the soul can finally lie down. The episode connects this message with Jesus' invitation: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” This episode invites listeners to stop and honestly consider three questions: What is the deeper thing you are really chasing—the want underneath the want? When did you last truly lie down in your soul, and what made it possible? What “still-looking stream” have you been drinking from that may actually be pulling you further into the current? Episode 9 ultimately offers a message of hope: you do not have to fix yourself before you come to the Shepherd. The pasture is not something you have to find by yourself. You can be led there. The water does not have to remain a dangerous current. The Shepherd can lead you to stillness. You don't have to earn rest. You don't have to achieve rest. You can receive it. The Shepherd’s Journey — Be led, and be at rest.

"I shall not want" - It's not desire, it's confidence

In this episode we unpack some challenging questions: Why do we so often confuse our wants with our needs? Why does having more rarely seem to give us lasting security? Are money, success, possessions, relationships, recognition, or approval quietly becoming our shepherd? What happens when we try to control our own future? Can we really trust God when the journey takes us through a valley? What does “I shall not want” mean for someone who is struggling, anxious, disappointed, or simply exhausted? Is contentment the same as giving up on our dreams and ambitions? And perhaps the most important question: Who is actually directing your life? This episode challenges the idea that security comes from having everything we want. Instead, it invites us to consider a different kind of confidence: I may not have everything I desire—but I can trust that I will not lack what I truly need. Because the Shepherd doesn't promise that there will be no valleys. He promises that we won't walk through them alone. Come and join the conversation as we continue The Shepherd’s Journey and discover what it might mean to stop trying to shepherd ourselves—and learn to trust the Shepherd. TRUST • SECURITY • WANTS • CONTROL • ENOUGH These five words capture the central tension of the episode: Are we finding security by getting more—or by trusting the Shepherd?

UNBURDENED - "I shall not want"

Why does getting everything we chase so often leave us emptier than before? In Episode 7, Gerhard is joined by therapist and spiritual mentor Laura to look at the modern “rat race” — the constant pressure to buy more, be more, and be more socially accepted — and what it’s quietly doing to our mental health. Together they trace the hedonic treadmill, conditional self-worth, social comparison, and the coping cycle that so often slides into addiction — before turning to four ancient words that flip the whole thing on its head: “I shall not want.” An honest, hope-filled conversation for anyone who’s tired of running. Talking points: the three treadmills (buy more / be more / be accepted) · the hedonic treadmill and why “enough” keeps moving · conditional self-worth and high-achiever burnout · social media, comparison and belonging · the coping cycle and addiction · “I shall not want” as a declaration of trust, not denial · striving vs trusting · the fear of letting go. If anything in this episode raised something painful for you, please reach out to a counsellor, a trusted person, or your GP. You don’t have to walk it alone.

"The LORD" - Unlocking the name behind the Psalm

We've all read "The Lord is my shepherd" a hundred times — but most of us skip straight past the single most important word: the very first one. In this episode, Gerhard and Laura dig into why David opens Psalm 23 by naming his God, and what it means that "The LORD" is YHWH — the self-existent, unchanging "I AM," a covenant God utterly unlike the moody, transactional deities of the ancient world. From there we trace how the six verses reveal God's character one facet at a time — Provider, Peace, Restorer, Presence in the valley, Victory, and Everlasting Love — and why what you believe about God quietly shapes how you meet anxiety, doubt, and hopelessness. If you've ever been exhausted by trying to be your own shepherd, this one's for you.

Five Troubling Questions Psalm 23 shed some light on

The world seems increasingly unsettled. War, anxiety, addiction, loneliness, social division, family breakdown and the relentless search for meaning raise some difficult questions about the condition of humanity. In this episode of The Shepherd’s Journey, Gerhard explores five troubling questions: Is humanity facing a deeper crisis? Why are Christianity and biblical principles so often rejected? Have people developed a distorted picture of God? Why do we search almost everywhere for fulfilment, identity and security, yet hesitate to seriously consider God? And most importantly—what light does Psalm 23 shed on all of this? The conversation brings psychology and Scripture together, recognising humanity’s deep needs for belonging, identity, meaning and security while exploring the biblical perspective that something deeper lies beneath our restlessness. At the heart of the episode is a powerful insight: Psalm 23 does not begin by searching for the answer—it begins with the answer. “The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” David does not spend the Psalm trying to find peace. He begins with the Shepherd, and from that relationship flow rest, restoration, guidance, protection, hope and security. Perhaps humanity’s greatest struggle is that we keep trying to become the shepherds of our own lives. Psalm 23 invites us to consider another way—a life in which identity, significance and security are not things we endlessly chase, but things discovered through knowing and following the Shepherd. The Shepherd is not simply part of the journey. He is the beginning of it.

The Story behind the book

Some books take a year to write. The Shepherd's Journey took over forty. In this opening episode, author Gerhard Kock sits down with Dave to unpack how a single passage — Psalm 23 — became the companion of a lifetime. It started when Gerhard was sixteen, newly come to faith, and one Psalm gripped his heart more than any other. What began as a favourite passage turned into a decades-long conversation with God — one he describes, honestly, as wrestling, like Jacob at Peniel. Every season of life peeled back another layer. Every hardship revealed something new. But this isn't just one man's story. Across twenty-three years of pastoral counselling and another decade training people in addiction, trauma, mental health and community work, Gerhard noticed something that hits close to home for almost everyone: the faces change, but the human heart stays the same. People are exhausted. Trying harder. Searching for purpose. Carrying an invisible burden while desperately looking for peace. The heart of the episode is a quiet reframe that changes everything. We tend to read Psalm 23 as comfort for when life falls apart — something for funerals and hard days. Gerhard suggests it was actually written to teach us how life works. And the journey it describes isn't really the sheep's at all. Before it's our journey with the Shepherd, it's His journey with us — the One who comes looking, restores, leads, protects, and pursues us long before we ever seek Him. Moments listeners will relate to: That feeling of trying harder and still not finding peace Carrying a burden you were never meant to carry alone Wondering if life could be different Returning again and again to something familiar and finding it's never finished with you Gerhard's closing word to anyone overwhelmed, discouraged, or simply searching: you are not the first person to feel lost — and everything changes with one sentence, "The Lord is my Shepherd." This first volume lays a foundation, with more of Psalm 23's depths still to explore. The Shepherd's Journey is available on Amazon as an e-book or print copy. Next episode, the series begins with those five life-changing words: "The Lord is my Shepherd."

Why we are made to follow the Shepherd

Why do we actually need to follow the Shepherd? This conversation connects ancient wisdom with modern psychology in ways that might surprise us both. Why is the Bible using the metaphor of "sheep" to describe us? What did David know, what Psychologist and Neuroscientists discovered two thousand years later?

Welcome to the Journey

Based on The Shepherd's Journey by Gerhard Kock, this podcast is designed for daily devotion, personal Bible study, church small groups, and anyone seeking a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. Discover how the Good Shepherd leads us through life's valleys into lives marked by peace, purpose, and lasting hope. In todays Podcast: Whatever you are experiencing today, the questions is: "Are you going to fall through it or go through it?" If I have everything, why do I still feel I have nothing? Five words that can change your life!

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