Church of the Nazarene - East Rockingham Campus

Today we are continuing our teaching series in the book of Psalms.

We are doing an intentional deep dive into 4 different Psalms. Our goal is to study each Psalm to understand how these words from thousands of years ago still offer wisdom and hope for our lives today.

The book of psalms is a large collection of poems written by various different authors across the span of 1000 years.

Many of these poems were lyrical in nature and intended to be set with music. The content of these psalms covers a large range of our human experience and relationship with God.

Their diversity makes them a valuable tool for our faith walk today.

We continue today looking at Psalm 23

The sheep/shepherd imagery is not quite as familiar to us so there’s a few things to keep in mind about sheep.

The first thing to know is that sheep are notoriously helpless and notably not that intelligent. For the most part, sheep are completely dependent on the care of the shepherd. For food, water, grooming, and shelter, practically everything requires help from the shepherd.


As David is reflecting back on his life, he recognizes his total dependance on the care and leading of the Lord as his shepherd.

For David, the Lord isn’t just THE shepherd, he is MY shepherd.

This is personal, this is intimate. This is the invitation of this passage. To find yourself in the care of the Shepherd.

Continuing with the imagery of the sheep/shepherd metaphor, the care of the shepherd is shown in meeting the everyday needs of the sheep.

What is in view is compassionate and complete care, down to the details of life.

That's life with the Good Shepherd.

Life is not always lived where things are green and happy. We will face dark valleys, trials that would cause us to fear. David certainly did

He had to run for his life from people trying to kill him, even his own son tried to take his life. He lost loved ones and friends.

As he faced those trials, he recognizes the Lord has been there for him. Guiding. Protecting. It’s the Lord’s presence that has been his comfort through it all.

As David reflects on the Lord’s presence, he also remembers his provision.

In verse 5 the shepherding imagery gives way to that of a banquet. But not a banquet you might expect. This banquet is hosted in the presence of enemies and adversaries.

David can see that The Lord has provided for him, right in the midst of the conflict, in the presence of enemies.

Having considered the Lords provision and protection in the past, David concludes with a sure hope for the future.

As the Lord had been faithful in the past, David trusted that his future was secure in the care of the shepherd. That’s the beautiful life under the care of the shepherd.

Psalm 23 reveals the Lord to us as the compassionate and attentive shepherd of our lives.

He knows us intimately, what we need, and how to handle the things that are troubling us.

He takes action to guide and protect us in the course of our daily lives. Even in the shadow of death, the most scary darkness we can imagine, he is right there.

When the cards are stacked against us, he prepares a feast for us. He pours out blessing over us, our life is overflowing with his joy.

And we have hope for tomorrow, because we know the Lord will be there for us too.

This is personal, it’s powerful, it speaks to us in the area of our greatest needs, and it asks us a practical yet critical question:

Who is my shepherd?

Who am I looking to to care for me? Who am I trusting for my daily needs?
Who or what am I looking to to restore my soul?

Psalm 23 invites us to come under the care of The Good Shepherd, to surrender to loving care and guidance in every detail of our lives.