The Lord Is My Shepherd
Month 5: Jesus — God With Us · Family Worship
Today's Scripture
Read together: Psalm 23
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. 4 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. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Memory Verse
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”— John 10:11 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Psalm 116; Psalm 117; Psalm 118; Psalm 131; Psalm 132
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 148 of 365 — "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good.")The Heart of It
A thousand years before Jesus walked the earth, a man named David wrote a song. David had once been a shepherd boy himself. He wrote, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." David knew sheep up close. He knew sheep need someone to lead them to green pastures and quiet waters. They need someone to walk with them through the valley of the shadow of death. They need someone to guard them with rod and staff. And here is what should make your family lean in tonight. The LORD that David trusted as his Shepherd is the very same One who later stood among us and said, "I am the good shepherd" (). isn't only David's song. It's a song about Jesus. The Shepherd David sang to is the Shepherd who came to be with us.
So let this be a worship time, not just a lesson. Read slowly together. Notice how the Shepherd cares for every part of life. He provides for us. He says, "I shall not want." He gives us rest. He makes us lie down. He restores tired souls. He guides us in right paths. He stays close in the scariest valley. And He promises that goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. For a busy family, this psalm is pure gift. It is permission to stop striving and rest in the One who leads us. Worship simply means agreeing with what's true and saying it back to God with thankful hearts. You are my Shepherd. I have everything I need. I am not afraid, because You are with me.
Around the Table
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." That means with Jesus, I have everything I need!
Let's do it: Say it together with motions. Cup your hands for "my Shepherd." Then hug yourself big for "I have all I need!"
Even in the dark valley, David wasn't afraid. That's because the Shepherd was with him. It's the same for us.
Let's talk: Which line of do you most want to remember the next time you feel scared?
The LORD that David trusted as his Shepherd is the same Person as Jesus, the Good Shepherd. That means is really about Jesus.
Let's go deeper: Walk through the psalm and name what the Shepherd does in each line. Which one do you need most right now?
💬 Conversation Starter
If our family wrote a thank-You song to God tonight, what's one thing each of us would put in it? Let's each share one. That's worship!
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Skeptics sometimes say the Bible's books don't connect. But look at and . was written about a thousand years before Christ. was written centuries later, by a different author. Yet both describe the same divine Shepherd. That is just one of hundreds of threads that tie Scripture into one story. A book woven that tightly across a thousand years points to one Author behind the many writers.
For Dad · Go Deeper
Family worship doesn't require you to be polished. It requires you to be present and sincere. Tonight, resist the urge to teach at your family. Instead, worship with them. Read the psalm aloud. Maybe sing a simple version. Let each person speak one line back to God. also quietly disciples your own heart as a leader. Before you can shepherd your children well, you have to be a well-shepherded sheep yourself. You have to be led, fed, restored, and unafraid. A father running on empty leads from anxiety. A father who has rested beside the quiet waters leads from rest. Let the Shepherd care for you this week, and your home will feel the difference.
Draws on: Max Anders, We Believe; Paul Tripp, on worship-shaped homes.
Let's Pray Together
"LORD, You are our Good Shepherd. Thank You that with You we have everything we need. Lead us. Restore us. Walk with us through every valley. We are not afraid, because You are with us. In Jesus' name, amen."
The Lord is my Shepherd. I have all I need, and I am not afraid, for He is with me.