Helping Kids Follow the Shepherd Through Psalm 23

If you’re looking for a simple way to teach Psalm 23:1 to your kids, this is an easy place to start. In this post, I’ll walk you through what this verse means, how to explain it simply, and give you a printable to help kids remember it.

This passage is one of my favorite because it demonstrates a relationship between a follower and a leader, a man and God… a sheep knowing he needs a Shepherd. You will find more Bible verses about following the Shepherd and how important it is for us.

Years ago, I lost my house and everything in it to a fire. It happened to be the week that I was teaching a lesson to kids on Psalm 23. Four days later, I walked into Sunday school to a classroom of kids asking me if I had specific things such as a toothbrush, a bed, a pillow, clothes, deodorant etc.

I was able to say, “Yes, God provided”. You see, all I needed after that fire was provided and I lacked nothing. We left the burning rubble that night to go and stay with family, with everything we needed. He was with us in that horrible day and provided through His sheep things we needed. It was overwhelming.

The Lord is my Shepherd and I follow Him. God takes care of us like a shepherd takes care of sheep. Let’s look at more details about this amazing passage and why you too should be a sheep following the Shepherd.

Psalm 23:1

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

Sheep, Lambs and Kids...
We're all a little sheepish!

Breaking it down for kids

Simple questions to ask children:

What is a shepherd?
What does a shepherd do?
What does it mean that God is our shepherd?

A shepherd protects and provides for sheep.

Sheep often caught in briars, brambles and falling into pits.
Sheep get distracted and wander off from the pack making themselves prey to enemy predators.
Sheep have heavy woolen coats that need to be trimmed.
Sheep are totally defenseless, they have no natural means to defend themselves from predators.
Were valued for their meat, wool and fleece and used for sacrifices to atone for sins.
A group is called a flock or herd
Are easily led and not independent thinkers.
Have horizontal slit shaped eyes that allow them excellent peripheral vision.
The wool around their eyes needs to be cut in order for them to see where they are going.
Are able to see behind themselves without needed to turn their heads.
Have poor depth perception, which means shadows and dips in the ground are triggers to balk.
Sheep tend to move out of the dark and into lit areas.
The are easy prey for predators because their only defense ability is to flee.
Hide signs of illness

Sounds like sheep and people have some characteristics in common!

Real-Life Connection to Psalm 23

I told you one of my experiences following the Shepherd. You are a sheep in need of a shepherd. What are some of the moments you followed Him and He provided? God loves his sheep.

God guides us
God takes care of us
God is with us

God takes care of us like a shepherd takes care of sheep. We can trust Him!

David’s famous words in Psalm 23 are recited around the world. “the LORD is my shepherd”, show that David understood who the LORD was and his relationship
with Him.

Think about all the reasons a sheep should follow a shepherd. Notice how David acknowledged, “The Lord is MY Shepherd“. It’s personal and a relationship.

Look at all the characteristics of sheep and compare those to what the LORD does as a Shepherd. Because David was a shepherd of sheep, he knew how important the role of leader and follower was for life.

Maybe that is why his psalm of sheep and a shepherd have translated several thousand years and just as meaningful for us today

Psalm 23 is a passage about who God is, what the Shepherd does. Look at each verse and see those elements and actions of love from God to His sheep. Look for words that connect to the meanings:

Provision
Peace
Purpose
Protection
Presence

Where do you see these from God today?

How to Use Psalm 23:1 with Kids

Read Psalm 23 together.
Talk about sheep characteristics.
Ask: “What do you think a shepherd does?”
Color the coloring page while discussing
Connect it to real life and moments they experience.
Have kids illustrate the passage or individual verses
Play a game of follow the leader. What makes a good or bad leader?
Pray together thanking God for His leadership

FREE Coloring Page for Psalm 23

To help kids remember this verse, I created a simple coloring page. You can find it in our Freebie Library. If your child enjoys this verse, I created a simple printable set that helps them go a little deeper with journaling and activities.

The free coloring page is part of our monthly Bible verse printable 4 verse bundles.

Full printable set
Art lesson on following the Shepherd.

If you want to go a little deeper our Walking the Word Bible Resource walks you through the Bible. Inside you can see lots of “sheep” (God’s people) following the Shepherd and how they get themselves into struggles when they veer off the path.

These resources are available in our Shop and more in our Bible Art Membership.

To Dig Deeper into More on The Shepherd

This verse is part of our ‘Following the Shepherd’ theme in our monthly calendar for the month of April. When you sign up for the coloring page you will receive our

Monthly calendar and reading list
Free Coloring page
Free Printables
Fun Activities to help kids remember the Lord
Art lessons

There’s one very important aspect about Psalm 23 that needs to be discussed. David trusted God. We trust God by faith and following His Word. Read John 10:27-30 to see how we can know how to follow Him.