📖

The Shepherd Psalm

David Worships God

Day 84of 180
Week 17of 36
20Minutes
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Learning Objectives

1

Understand that God cares for us like a shepherd

2

Learn the first three verses of Psalm 23

3

Recognize how David expressed love for God through poetry

Psalm 23:1-3

Yahweh 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.

Psalm 23:1-3 (WEB)

David describes God's loving care using the familiar image of a shepherd

📦 Materials Needed

  • Toy sheep or stuffed animal
  • Green paper
  • Printout of Psalm 23
  • Crayons

Lesson Plan

1Opening (5 min)

Bring out a toy sheep and ask children what they know about sheep and shepherds. Explain that King David was once a shepherd before becoming a king.

💭 Review Question: What do shepherds do to take care of their sheep?
2Teaching (8 min)

David wrote a special song called Psalm 23 that tells us how God takes care of us just like a good shepherd takes care of sheep. Just as a shepherd provides food, water, and protection, God provides everything we need.

📌 Key Talking Points:
  • God watches over us all the time
  • We can trust God to take care of us
  • God gives us rest and peace
💬 Discussion Questions:
  • How does God take care of you?
  • What makes you feel safe with God?
3Activity: Green Pastures Craft (5 min)
hands-on

Children will create a shepherd's field with green paper, representing God's care

📝 Instructions:
  1. Give each child green paper
  2. Draw or color a peaceful sheep field
  3. Add a simple drawing of a shepherd
  4. Write part of the memory verse on the page
🔄 Variations:

Simpler: Pre-draw field outline for children to color

Challenge: Add more details about sheep and shepherding

4Closing (2 min)

Review what we learned about God being our loving shepherd

📝 Review Questions:
  • Who takes care of us like a shepherd?
  • What did David write about God?
🙏 Prayer:

Dear Jesus, thank You for being our good shepherd who loves and protects us. Amen.

Coming up: Tomorrow we'll learn more about how we can worship God like David did!

Psalm 23:1-3

Yahweh 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.

Psalm 23:1-3 (WEB)

🎯 Activity: Sheep Follow the Shepherd

Teaching Notes

📚 Background:

Psalm 23 is a powerful metaphor of God's care, using imagery familiar to ancient listeners

💡 Teaching Tips:
  • Use gentle, reassuring tone when discussing God's protection
  • Encourage children to share their feelings about God's love
🤔 Common Struggles:

Young children might have trouble understanding metaphorical language

👀 Signs of Understanding:

Child's ability to relate God's care to their own life experiences

Extension Activities

  • Sing a simple song about God being a shepherd
  • Act out being sheep following a shepherd
  • Draw additional scenes from Psalm 23

Ready for Tomorrow?

Great job completing today's lesson!

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