Psalm 23 was written by David. This is the same David who murdered, committed adultery, and was king. He was a shepherd boy who fought Goliath, and protected his sheep from threats like lions and bears. He understands the way of the shepherd. A Jewish shepherd was a warrior who fiercely protected his flock.

The LORD: We often think of God as shepherd as gentle, but we must remember…

He breathed the known universe

He made Adam and Eve

He is the Promised Redeemer

He took the Hebrews out of Egypt after 400 years

He stopped the sun

He spoke through the prophets

He gave us Jesus through the virgin Mary

In this passage, shepherd is used as a verb because David is showing us how to live like a flock.

The Lord is “my shepherd” speaks of this idea of “mine together”. We are not alone. Matthew 9:36

I shall not want: I lack nothing that I need. We live in a time where we believe we never have enough, but that is very dangerous and causes us to not be dependent on Him. When life is easy, we drift away from a dependency on God. We must not get apathetic, self-sufficient, and isolated.

1. The LORD is our common denominator. Find your place in community.

2. The LORD is my shepherd:

A. He gathers us BIG (worship) in rows

B. He gathers us SMALL (Discipleship Community) in circles