Do You Know the Shepherd of Psalm 23

Devotional

Day 1: The Lord Is My Shepherd, Not a Distant Idea

The psalm’s opening words hinge on a personal claim: “my shepherd.” This isn’t a general truth but a relational confession. Yahweh, the covenant God who revealed Himself to Moses, is not merely a provider of blessings but the source of all provision. Green pastures and still waters matter only because the Shepherd Himself is present. To say “my shepherd” is to reject self-sufficiency and declare dependence on the One who restores souls. [43:49]

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. (Psalm 23:1–3, ESV)

Reflection: When you say “the Lord is my shepherd,” what specific areas of your life still resist His leadership? How might declaring “my shepherd” today shift your perspective on unmet wants?

Day 2: From “He” to “You” in the Valley’s Shadow

The psalm shifts from talking about God to speaking directly to Him in the valley. Theology becomes intimacy when darkness threatens. The rod and staff are not abstract symbols but tangible reminders of His nearness. Fear loses its grip not through explanations but through the Shepherd’s presence. Valleys are not detours but pathways to deeper communion. [56:25]

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4, ESV)

Reflection: In your current trials, do you find yourself demanding answers from God or resting in His presence? What would it look like to address Him as “you” instead of “He” today?

Day 3: Goodness and Mercy Chase, Not Follow

The Hebrew word for “follow” implies pursuit. God’s goodness isn’t a passive trail but an active hunt. Even when we wander, His kindness overtakes us. An overflowing cup isn’t about abundance of things but the certainty of His covenant love. The Shepherd’s pursuit continues until we dwell in His house forever. [01:01:16]

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:6, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you mistaken God’s chasing grace for luck or coincidence? How might recognizing His pursuit change your response to recent hardships?

Day 4: The Good Shepherd Who Became a Lamb

Jesus redefines shepherding by laying down His life. Wolves scatter sheep, but the True Shepherd gathers. His voice isn’t a distant echo but a familiar call to those who belong to Him. Eternal safety isn’t found in rituals but in relationship with the One who knows His sheep by name. [01:03:58]

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees. (John 10:11–12, ESV)

Reflection: Do you relate to Jesus more as a hired hand who owes you service or as the Shepherd who owns your life? What evidence points to your answer?

Day 5: The Lamb Who Shepherds in Eternity

The end of the story reverses roles: the Lamb becomes the Shepherd. Every tear wiped away, every thirst satisfied. Eternal life isn’t a static destination but an unbroken walk with the One who led us through valleys. The Shepherd’s work culminates in a throne where death’s shadow finally dissolves. [01:05:57]

For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. (Revelation 7:17, ESV)

Reflection: What earthly sorrow or joy most distracts you from anticipating eternal fellowship with the Shepherd? How might fixing your gaze on His throne recalibrate today’s priorities?

Sermon Summary

Psalm 23 stands directly on the heels of Psalm 22, and Psalm 22 will not let the green pastures float away from the cross. Jesus cries, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” and only then can Psalm 23 speak with peace and tranquility. Psalm 23 is not mainly about green pastures, still waters, comfort, or even heaven. Psalm 23 has one main character, and it is the shepherd.

David opens with the phrase that holds the whole thing together: “The Lord is my shepherd.” The Lord is not merely a shepherd, or even only the shepherd, but “my shepherd.” Yahweh, the covenant name of God, the self-existent one, the “I am” from the burning bush, becomes personal. The blessings of the Psalm only make sense because the giver is known. Peace without the peacemaker, comfort without the comforter, forgiveness without the one who created forgiveness in his Son, will not hold.

The shepherd provides for his sheep. The Lord makes them lie down in green pastures, leads them beside quiet waters, restores the soul, and guides in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Sheep do not know what they need. Sheep run back to the ravine after being rescued from it. The shepherd knows exactly what his sheep need, and only the shepherd can restore the eternal part of a person and produce righteousness that cannot be manufactured.

The shepherd also walks with his sheep. David does not say if the valley comes, but when the valley comes. In the valley of the shadow of death, the Psalm shifts from talking about God to talking to God: “You are with me.” The valley moves David from theology to fellowship, from information to communion. God may not explain every valley, but the shepherd promises his presence, with rod and staff, a weapon and a guiding tool.

The shepherd pursues his sheep. Goodness and loving kindness do not merely trail behind; they chase, run after, and follow all the days of life. The table, the oil, and the overflowing cup picture God’s favor and blessing in the presence of enemies. John 10 names the shepherd clearly: Jesus is the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. Revelation 7 shows the lamb in the center of the throne becoming the shepherd forever, guiding his people to the water of life and wiping every tear from their eyes.

The searching question is not whether Psalm 23 is known, liked, memorized, or admired. The question is whether the Lord can truly be called “my shepherd.” Knowing about the shepherd is not the same as knowing the shepherd.

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Key Takeaways

1. The shepherd is Psalm 23’s center Psalm 23 does not finally rest on scenery, sentiment, or funeral comfort. The green pastures and still waters only have meaning because the shepherd is there. A person can want the gifts while refusing the giver, but David’s confidence begins with relationship: “The Lord is my shepherd.” [41:21]
2. Yahweh becomes deeply personal The name “Lord” is the covenant name, the self-existent “I am” who spoke from the burning bush. David’s wonder is that this eternal, sovereign, covenant-keeping God is not distant from the sheep. The whole Psalm turns on the small word “my,” because borrowed faith and secondhand familiarity cannot carry the soul through life or death. [43:49]
3. The shepherd restores the soul Sheep do not know what they need, and sheep keep running back into the ravine. The soul is the eternal part of a person, and only God can do anything true with that eternal existence. Righteousness is not self-produced, but received from the shepherd who restores, guards, and leads for his name’s sake. [49:09]
4. The valley changes he to you Psalm 23 shifts in the valley from “he” to “you,” and that change is not small. Suffering moves David from information about God into communion with God. The answer to fear is not always an explanation of the valley, but the presence of the shepherd inside it. [55:41]
5. Jesus lays down shepherd-life John 10 identifies the good shepherd as Jesus, the one who does not run when the wolf comes. False shepherds flee because they do not own the sheep, but Christ lays down his life to bring his sheep back into the fold. Revelation then shows the lamb becoming the shepherd forever, guiding his people to the water of life.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[35:05] - Psalm 22 Opens Psalm 23
[38:09] - Familiar Words Can Stop Listening
[41:21] - Do You Know the Shepherd?
[42:26] - The Shepherd Provides
[43:49] - Yahweh Is My Shepherd
[49:09] - He Restores the Soul
[53:28] - The Shepherd Walks With Sheep
[55:41] - From He to You
[58:31] - The Shepherd Pursues
[63:15] - Jesus, the Good Shepherd
[66:45] - My Shepherd, Not Just a Shepherd
[68:52] - Knowing God Or Knowing About God

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Psalm 23
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” [37:03]

John 10:11-14
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,” [01:03:55]

Revelation 7:17
“For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” [01:05:33]

Psalm 22:1
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?”

Observation questions

In Psalm 23, what are the specific things the shepherd does for his sheep in verses 1-6?
What change in language happens in Psalm 23:4, and how does David speak differently there than in the earlier verses? [55:41]
In John 10:11-14, what differences are given between the good shepherd and the hired hand?
According to Revelation 7:17, what does the Lamb do for his people, and what promise is tied to his shepherding?

Interpretation questions

Psalm 23 begins with “The LORD is my shepherd.” Why does that small word “my” matter so much? What does it show about the kind of relationship David is describing? [43:49]
Psalm 23 comes right after Psalm 22. How does the cry of forsakenness in Psalm 22:1 help explain why the peace of Psalm 23 is not shallow or sentimental? [35:59]
Psalm 23 says, “He restores my soul” and “He leads me in paths of righteousness.” What does that suggest about what people cannot do for themselves? [49:09]
In Psalm 23:4, the answer to the valley is not mainly an explanation but a presence: “you are with me.” Why is that such an important difference for how suffering is understood? [57:00]

Application questions

Many people want peace, comfort, or help from God, but not God himself. Where is that temptation showing up most clearly right now: wanting the gifts more than the Shepherd? [46:49]
Sheep do not know what they need and often run back to the same ravine. What is one pattern, habit, or false comfort that keeps pulling a person back, even after the Lord has already shown mercy there? [50:17]
The valley turns “he” into “you.” When life gets hard, does prayer become more personal and honest, or does distance from God grow? What usually pushes it one way or the other? [56:32]
The Shepherd does not promise that valleys will never come, but he does promise his presence in them. What valley has made God’s presence more precious than it used to be? [57:30]
“Goodness and mercy” do not merely trail behind; they pursue. Where can God’s pursuing kindness be seen even in a season that still feels unresolved or painful? [01:01:09]
Jesus says, “I know my own and my own know me.” What is the difference between knowing facts about Jesus and actually knowing him personally? Where can that difference be seen in everyday life? [01:04:48]
Psalm 23 is not finally asking whether it is admired, memorized, or familiar, but whether the Lord can truly be called “my shepherd.” Can that be said with honesty today? If not, what keeps that word “my” from being spoken with confidence? [01:06:45]

Sermon Clips

52s

“This is the most one of the most beautiful transitions in all of scripture, and we miss it so often. You see the valley moved David from theology to fellowship. It moved David from information about God to communion with God. It moved David from talking about God to talking with God. And he doesn't say, I find it interesting, he doesn't say, if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. He says, I will, when I am walking. When I walk through, even though I am walking through or will walk through, I fear no evil because you are with me. You see, the answer to fear is not some explanation. The answer to fear is his presence. It's the shepherd.”

33s

“Be perfectly clear today, I'm not asking you if you like Psalm 23. I'm not asking you if you've memorized it or if you've heard it places. I'm not asking if you agree with Psalm 23. I'm asking if you can say what David says, the Lord is my shepherd. He doesn't merely say that the Lord is a shepherd. He does not say that the Lord is the shepherd. He says the Lord is my shepherd and the entire Psalm hangs on such a phrase.”

52s

“The green pastures belong to those who can say, my shepherd. The still waters belong to those who can say, my shepherd. The rod and the staff belong to those who can say, my shepherd. The table before the enemies belong to those who can say, my shepherd. The father's house, within which we will hope to dwell forever, belongs to the only those that can say, my shepherd. The promise of loving kindness and mercy belong to those who belong to the good shepherd. And that raises a sobering question, I think, for each one of us to think about this morning, which is, do you know the shepherd, or do you simply know about the shepherd? Because everything in your life hangs on the difference between those two statements.”

43s

“Many people today, perhaps you came in here today and you just want a gift, but you don't want the gift giver. You want peace, but you don't want the peacemaker. You want forgiveness from someone, but you're not going to the one who created forgiveness in his son. You want comfort, and you don't go to the comforter. You want purpose and you don't go to the one who gave you all identity and purpose. But David rooted himself. His very beginning of his psalm is that he roots himself in the person of the shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd. And that leads him then, of course, to the second statement, I shall not want.”

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Faith Baptist Church - Columbia, MO This sermon · AI assistant

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