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The Lord Is My Shepherd: Psalm 23 Explained for Kids
Psalm 23 is one of the best-loved chapters in the whole Bible, and it was written by someone who knew sheep very well. Here is what it means, one line at a time, plus questions and a quick activity for home or Sunday school.
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”Psalm 23:1–3 · KJV
What is the psalm saying?
Before David was a king, he was a shepherd boy. He spent long days and nights in the fields keeping his family’s sheep safe. He found them grass to eat and water to drink, and he chased away lions and bears that came too close.
So when David thought about how God cares for him, the picture that came to mind was a shepherd. God is the Shepherd, and we are His sheep. Sheep can’t find food on their own, they wander off easily, and they get scared. They need someone to lead them. So do we.
“I shall not want” means “I will have what I need.” Not everything I wish for, but everything I truly need, because my Shepherd is looking after me.
Line by line
- Green pastures and still waters: sheep are nervous drinkers and won’t drink from rushing water. A good shepherd finds a calm pool. God gives us rest and peace, not just busyness.
- He restoreth my soul: when we feel tired, sad or empty inside, God fills us back up.
- Paths of righteousness: God leads us along the right way, the way that is good and true.
- The valley of the shadow of death: even in dark, scary times, “I will fear no evil: for thou art with me” (Psalm 23:4). The Shepherd doesn’t leave when the path gets hard.
- Thy rod and thy staff: a shepherd used a rod to fight off wild animals and a hooked staff to pull a sheep back when it wandered. Both meant the sheep was safe.
- Goodness and mercy shall follow me: the psalm ends with a promise that God’s kindness will stay with us “all the days of my life” (Psalm 23:6).
Who is the Good Shepherd?
Many years after David, Jesus used the very same picture for Himself. He said, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11), and He told a story about a shepherd who left 99 sheep to go and find the one that was lost (Luke 15:3–7). Psalm 23 tells us what God is like, and Jesus shows us.
Talk about it
- Which line of Psalm 23 is your favorite, and why?
- What are some things you need that God has given you?
- When do you feel scared, like walking through a dark valley?
- How could you be like a good shepherd to a friend or a younger child this week?
A 5-minute activity: follow the shepherd
- Choose one person to be the shepherd. Everyone else is a sheep.
- The sheep close their eyes (or wear a blindfold) and listen only for the shepherd’s voice.
- The shepherd calls the sheep by name and guides them, slowly and safely, around a chair or two to a “green pasture” (a cushion or blanket).
- Swap roles so everyone gets a turn.
- Afterward, talk about it: how did it feel to trust a voice you couldn’t see? Read John 10:27 together: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
A verse to remember
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1)
