Psalm 23

Book 1: Psalm 1-41 God’s presence beside us

Title: A Psalm of David.

I. Our relationship with the shepherd (1)

A.  The identity of our shepherd
B.  The activity of our shepherd

II. Our confidence in the shepherd (2-3)

A.  The shepherd provides my physical needs.
B.  The shepherd provides my spiritual needs.

III. Our safety in the shepherd (4-5)

A.  The presence of my shepherd provides safety.
B.  The provision of my shepherd provides peace.

IV. Our hope in the shepherd (6)

A.  We have hope throughout our lives.
B.  We have hope for all eternity.

Psalm 23 begins with the statement, “The Lord is my shepherd.” In the Hebrew text it actually reads, “The Lord is the one shepherding me.” It speaks of God actively caring for His flock. Even more exciting, the word for shepherding conveys a causal idea, “because the Lord is the one shepherding me, I shall not want.” Because the Lord is the one shepherding me, He leads me beside still waters, etc. It ends with, because the Lord is the one shepherding me, I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

The question we need to answer is this. Is the Lord the one shepherding me? Am I one of His sheep? If I am, I can say with absolute confidence, I shall not want.