The Book of Psalms – Part 3

The Lord Is My Shepherd – Psalm 23 

Crosspoint – Dave Spooner – June 21, 2026

Introduction

• Today is Father’s Day, and for many people, that brings gratitude, joy, and good memories. For others, it brings mixed emotions. Some had fathers who were present, loving, steady, and faithful. Some had fathers who were distant, absent, harsh, or difficult to understand. Some are grieving a father who is no longer here. Some are fathers carrying the weight of responsibility. Some wanted to be fathers and never had the opportunity.
• So, on a day like this, I am grateful that Scripture gives us a picture of care that is deeper, steadier, and more faithful than even the best human father could provide, which is Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who never fails His people.
• Psalm 23 may be the most cherished passage in the Old Testament. It has been memorized by children, whispered beside hospital beds, prayed in moments of fear, and read at gravesides. Part of its power is its simplicity. It does not answer every question about suffering or explain why every valley comes. It gives us something better: a picture of who God is and what it means to belong to Him.
• David takes us into green pastures, beside quiet waters, along right paths, through a dark valley, to a table, and finally home. Through ever-changing scenes, one reality remains the same: the Shepherd is there.
• The comfort of Psalm 23 is not that the path is always easy, the valley can always be avoided, or enemies disappear. The comfort is that wherever the path leads, the Lord is present, providing, guiding, protecting, welcoming, and bringing His people safely home.
• Psalm 1 showed us the planted life. Psalm 13 showed us the praying life. Psalm 23 shows us the “shepherded” life: a life lived under the personal, faithful, and sufficient care of God.

Psalm 23 NIV (Page 473)

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, 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 your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Know the Shepherd Personally

• • Psalm 23 begins, “The Lord is my shepherd.” David does not merely say, “The Lord is a shepherd.” He says, “The Lord is my shepherd.” This is personal and deeply and dearly relational.
  • David knows what a good shepherd is and does; he had been a shepherd himself. Before he wore a crown, he carried a staff. Before he led a nation, he led sheep. He knew what shepherding required. A shepherd had to watch, guide, feed, protect, search, heal, rescue, and remain with the sheep. Shepherding was not distant supervision. It was personal, up-close care.
  • David was the shepherd-king of Israel, and the people looked to him for leadership and protection. But David knew that he also needed a Shepherd. The king was still a sheep. The leader still needed to be led. The protector still needed protection.
  • That is true for every one of us. It does not matter how responsible you are, how many people depend on you, or how strong others think you are. You need a Shepherd. Fathers need a Shepherd. Mothers need a Shepherd. Pastors need a Shepherd. Leaders need a Shepherd. Caregivers need a Shepherd.
  • That may be especially important for men to hear on Father’s Day. There is a temptation to think strength means carrying everything alone, never admitting fear, weakness, confusion, or need. But David, a warrior and king, begins by saying, “The Lord is my shepherd.” 
  • Real strength begins with knowing that you are not the Shepherd. You are a sheep. You need to be led.
  • The Shepherd David knew has made Himself known to us in Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 10, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Jesus knows His sheep, calls them by name, goes ahead of them, protects them, seeks the lost, and lays down His life for them.
  • So, when Christians pray, “The Lord is my shepherd,” we are speaking about Jesus Christ, the Shepherd who knows us, loves us, died for us, rose for us, and leads us.
  • Notice the word “my.” Psalm 23 is not merely asking whether you know about the Shepherd. It asks whether you know Him and belong to Him. It is possible to admire Psalm 23 and still remain outside the flock. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
  • Can you say, “The Lord is my shepherd”? Not merely my parents’ Shepherd, my spouse’s Shepherd, or my church’s Shepherd. My Shepherd.
  • Everything else in Psalm 23 flows from that relationship. Because the Lord is my Shepherd, David says, “I lack nothing.” That does not mean David received everything he wanted. It means he trusted the Shepherd to give him everything he truly needed.
  • There is a great difference between having everything we want and lacking nothing we need. Our culture trains us to feel constantly deficient. We are told we need more money, more comfort, more recognition, more security, more influence, and more possessions. Comparison deepens that feeling and then fear intensifies it.

• David says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” He is not saying, “I possess everything.” He is saying, “I belong to Someone.” The sufficiency of the sheep is found in the sufficiency of the Shepherd. 
• You may not have what someone else has. You may not have what you expected to have. You may be waiting for something good or grieving something that has been lost. But if the Lord is your Shepherd, you are not abandoned, forgotten, or without care. He knows what you need, when you need it, and how to provide it.

Receive the Shepherd’s Care

• • David continues, “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul” (v. 2-3a). This is a picture of provision, peace, and renewal.

• “He makes me lie down.” Some of us are not very good at lying down. We are good at working, producing, planning, worrying, solving, carrying, fixing, and hurrying. We live as though everything depends on us. We treat exhaustion as proof of faithfulness and busyness as proof of importance.
• Sometimes the Shepherd must make us lie down. He reminds us that we are sheep, not the Shepherd. There are limits built into our lives. We need sleep. We need rest. We need prayer. We need worship. We need time in God’s Word. We need the fellowship of God’s people. We need to stop striving long enough to receive what only God can give.
• Rest is not laziness when the Shepherd has led us there. Rest is an act of faith. To lie down in green pastures is to say, “The Shepherd is awake, so I do not have to remain on alert every moment. The Shepherd is watching, so I can rest.”
• That is also a word for fathers. One of the greatest gifts a father can give his family is not the illusion of invincibility. It is the example of a man who knows how to trust God. A man who works faithfully but does not worship work. A man who carries responsibility but does not pretend he controls everything. A man who works and rests. And you need both to be healthy.
• Some of us are physically tired. Others are emotionally tired. Some are carrying a burden no one else can see. You are still functioning, working, helping, and attending, but your soul is worn thin.
• David says, “He refreshes my soul.” The older translations say, “He restores my soul.” The Shepherd renews what has been depleted, revives what has become faint, brings the wandering sheep back, and strengthens the exhausted sheep.
• God may restore us through rest, His Word, the prayers of another believer, the kindness of a friend, the beauty of creation, or the gathered worship of His people. But restoration ultimately comes from the Shepherd.
• We often try to restore our souls with things that can only distract them. We scroll, shop, eat, binge, or stay busy. Some of these things may provide a temporary break, but they cannot reach the deepest places within us. Only the Shepherd can restore the soul.
• So when your soul is tired, do not only ask, “How can I escape?” Ask, “How can I draw near to my Shepherd?” Open His Word slowly. Tell Him honestly where you are. Receive the care of His people. Let Him lead you to the places where your soul can breathe again.

Follow the Shepherd’s Guidance

• • Verse 3 continues, “He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” The Shepherd does not only feed and restore us. He leads us.
  • Sheep need guidance. Left to themselves, they wander. They do not naturally choose the safest or best path. They may follow one another in the wrong direction or move toward danger without recognizing it.
  • The Bible’s picture of us as sheep is not flattering. We are not as wise, independent, or self-sufficient as we imagine. We need the Shepherd to show us the way.
  • David says God leads him “along the right paths.” These are paths of righteousness, truth, faithfulness, holiness, and love. They are also the right path; the path the Shepherd knows will bring the sheep where they need to go.
  • God will never guide you into sin. He will never lead you contrary to His Word. This matters because we sometimes use the language of guidance to justify what we already want. We say, “I feel led,” “I have peace about it,” or “This door opened.” But the Shepherd will not lead His sheep contrary to the Scriptures He inspired.
  • God leads us through His Word, by His Spirit, within the wisdom and fellowship of His people. He shapes our character, renews our minds, and teaches us to choose what is good.
  • And He leads us “for His name’s sake.” His reputation is connected to His care for His people. He acts consistently with His character. He leads us because He is faithful, holy, good, and true. Psalm 23 is ultimately not about us; it is about Him. His goodness, faithfulness, and glory. 

• That should give us perspective and confidence. The Shepherd does not guide us because we have earned perfect guidance. He guides us for His name’s sake. We make mistakes. We misunderstand. We sometimes wander. But the Shepherd remains committed to His name and His sheep.
• That does not mean every decision will be easy. Sometimes several options are morally good. Sometimes we must act without complete certainty. Sometimes God’s path becomes clear only one step at a time.
• But we can pray, “Lord, lead me in right paths. Keep me close to Your Word. Correct me when I wander. Give me wisdom for the next faithful and right step.” And sometimes the right path leads into a valley. Which is the path you must take on your way home. 

Trust the Shepherd in the Darkest Valley

• Verse 4 says, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
• This is where Psalm 23 becomes more than a pleasant picture. The Shepherd leads to green pastures, but the path also passes through dark valleys. Following the Shepherd does not mean avoiding every valley. Sometimes obedience leads directly through one.
• The phrase “darkest valley” can include death, but it also includes every place of deep darkness: grief, illness, fear, depression, betrayal, loss, uncertainty, loneliness, persecution, and suffering.
• Psalm 23 does not say, “If I walk through the valley.” It says, “Even though I walk through.” Valleys are part of the journey. Some people are in a valley today. Others have just come through one. Others will enter one sooner than they expect. The question is not whether we will face darkness. The question is whether we will face it alone.
• David says, “I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (v. 4b). He does not say there is no evil. He says evil will not have the final word. He does not say there is nothing frightening in the valley. He says fear will not rule him because the Shepherd is present.
• Notice the change in the way David speaks. In the first three verses, David talks about God. “He makes me lie down. He leads me. He refreshes me. He guides me.” But in the valley, David talks directly to God. “You are with me.”
• Suffering often moves our theology from the third person to the second person. It is one thing to say, “God is faithful.” It is another thing, in the darkness, to pray, “You are faithful.” David’s greatest comfort is not a concept, but a connection. 
• Sometimes we desperately want God to explain the valley. Why did this happen? Why now? Why this long? God may give us some understanding, but often He does not give every answer we want. He gives us the promise of His presence. And the presence of the Shepherd is greater than the absence of an explanation. We will know the whys in the end; for now, what we need to know is the who. Who is with us is more important than why this is happening. 
• David continues, “Your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (v. 4c). The rod was used for protection. The staff was used for guidance and rescue. The same hand that guides also protects.
• Our comfort is not that we are strong enough for every valley; it is that our Shepherd is. You may not know how you will endure the next season. You may not feel courageous or see the way through. But the Shepherd already knows the valley. He is not surprised by its darkness.
• Notice the word “through.” The Shepherd does not lead His people into the valley to leave them there. The valley is not the destination. It is part of the path home.
• Even death itself has become a passage for those who belong to Jesus. Jesus entered the deepest valley. He faced betrayal, mockery, suffering, judgment, and death. At the cross, the Good Shepherd became the Lamb who was slain. He laid down His life for the sheep.
• But He did not remain in the grave. He rose from the dead. Because the Shepherd has passed through death and come out alive, those who follow Him need not fear that death will separate them from His care.
• Jesus does not stand outside the valley shouting instructions. He goes before us. He has walked the path, broken the power of death, and He promises to bring His sheep through. He goes before us, and He goes with us. 

Sit at the Shepherd’s Table

• In verse 5, the image changes. The Lord is not only the Shepherd in the field. He is also the gracious Host who welcomes David to His table. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” (v. 5). 
• The psalm moves from pasture to banquet, from traveling to feasting. David’s enemies are still present, but they cannot prevent the blessing of God. The table says, “You belong here. You are under My protection. You are My welcomed guest.”
• In the time of David, to welcome someone to your table was to offer fellowship, honor, provision, and protection. God is not giving David a hurried meal. He prepares a table. He anoints David’s head with oil, an act of honor and favor. David’s cup is not barely filled. It overflows.
• The Shepherd does not bring His people through the valley merely to survive. He brings them into abundance with Himself. That abundance does not necessarily mean material wealth or physical health. It is the generous welcome of God, fellowship with Him, grace that is more than sufficient, and belonging at the King’s table.
• And this is where Psalm 23 leads us toward communion. Jesus welcomed sinners to His table. On the night He was betrayed, He took bread and wine and gave His disciples a meal to remember His body and blood.
• At this table, Jesus says to His people, “You belong to Me. I have welcomed you. I have given Myself for you. Your sin does not have the final word. My grace and goodness do.”
• The table of communion is not for those who have shepherded themselves well. It is for sheep who know they need the Shepherd. It is for those who have wandered and been brought back, those who have been tired and restored, and those who trust the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep.

Dwell with the Shepherd Forever 

• David ends, “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life” (v. 6a). The word “follow” carries the idea of pursuing or chasing.
• David knew what it was to be pursued by enemies. Saul pursued him. Armies pursued him. Trouble pursued him. But David looks at his life and says, “Something stronger is pursuing me: the goodness and faithful love of God.”
• That does not mean everything that happens to us will feel good. It means God’s goodness is at work through everything, and His love will not let His people go. When you look ahead, you may see uncertainty. When God looks ahead, He already sees the path, the valley, the table, and the home. And behind you come His goodness and love.
• On the days when you feel strong, goodness and love pursue you. On the days when you are weary, goodness and love pursue you. In the pasture, in the valley, and in the presence of enemies, goodness and love pursue you.
• “All the days of my life.” Not only the easy days, the productive days, or the spiritually impressive days. All the days.
• Then David says, “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (v. 6b). This is the destination of the psalm. The goal is not ultimately green pastures, quiet waters, or even escape from the valley. The goal is the Lord Himself.
• The greatest gift the Shepherd gives is His presence. The greatest home is His house. The greatest future is life with Him forever. Psalm 23 begins with belonging: “The Lord is my shepherd.” It ends with dwelling: “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
• The Shepherd takes responsibility for everything in between. He finds us, leads us, feeds us, restores us, guides us, protects us, welcomes us, pursues us with goodness and love, and brings us home.

Conclusion

• Psalm 23 does not promise a life without need, weariness, darkness, enemies, or death. It promises a Shepherd. And the Shepherd is enough.
• When you are anxious about provision, remember: “The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing.” When your soul is exhausted, remember: “He refreshes my soul.” When you do not know which way to go, remember: “He guides me along the right paths.” When the valley is dark, remember: “You are with me.” When enemies surround you, remember: “You prepare a table before me.” And when death draws near, remember: “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
• But these promises belong to those who belong to the Shepherd. So hear the voice of Jesus today. He is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep. He is the risen Shepherd who defeated death. He is the searching Shepherd who seeks the lost.
• Perhaps you have wandered far. The Shepherd is calling you back. Perhaps you are tired. The Shepherd is leading you to rest. Perhaps you are afraid. The Shepherd is with you. Perhaps you are trying to lead your own life, provide everything for yourself, protect yourself from every danger, and control every outcome.
• Lay down the exhausting burden of trying to be your own shepherd. You were not made to shepherd yourself. Come to Christ. Trust Him. Listen to His voice. Follow Him.
• And now, as we come to communion, we come to the table prepared by our Shepherd-Savior-King. We remember that the Good Shepherd laid down His life for the sheep. The bread reminds us of His body, given for us. The cup reminds us of His blood, poured out for the forgiveness of sins.
• We come not because we have walked the path perfectly, but because Jesus did. We come not because we have never wandered, but because the Shepherd came looking for us. We come not because we are strong, but because His grace is sufficient.
• The Lord is our Shepherd. The Shepherd has prepared the table. And one day, goodness and love will bring us safely home.

Our prayer team is available to pray with you after the service, near the “prayer” sign at the front of the sanctuary, and in the prayer room next to the offices. Also, you can send your prayer request to prayer@crosspointrockford.com

Questions for Growth Groups 

1. David says, “The Lord is my shepherd.” What is the difference between knowing that the Lord is a Shepherd and personally knowing Him as “my Shepherd”?
2. The sermon said, “Real strength begins with knowing that you are not the Shepherd.” Why can it be difficult to admit our need for guidance, provision, and care, particularly when other people depend on us?
3. What does “I lack nothing” mean in Psalm 23? How is trusting the Shepherd to provide what we need different from expecting Him to give us everything we want?
4. David says the Shepherd makes him lie down and refreshes his soul. What tends to leave your soul depleted, and what practices help you receive the Shepherd’s restoring care?
5. How does God ordinarily guide His people along “right paths”? How can Scripture, the Holy Spirit, prayer, and the wisdom of other believers help us distinguish God’s guidance from our own desires?
6. Psalm 23 does not promise that we will avoid dark valleys. What does the promise “You are with me” mean to you in a season of fear, suffering, grief, or uncertainty?
7. Psalm 23 ends with a prepared table, pursuing goodness and love, and an eternal home. Which of these images most encourages you right now, and how does Jesus fulfill that promise for His people?