Through Humility…
We cannot be certain when David penned Psalm 23, but many suspect it was later in his life because of the wisdom, restraint, and confidence he shares in it. If that is the case, then David’s humility in writing this psalm is that much more impressive—the king of Israel was comparing himself to a lowly sheep. However, even if he wrote this as a young man, his humility is still evident.
David had been a shepherd, so he knew all about sheep. He knew they were not the smartest animals around. He knew they don’t smell the best. Yet, he opens the psalm by immediately identifying with that animal: “The Lord is my shepherd.” Then notice what follows:
The Lord provides what David needs.
The Lord lets him lie down in green pastures.
The Lord leads him beside quiet waters.
The Lord renews his life.
The Lord leads him along the right paths.
The Lord is present with him always, even in times of danger.
The Lord’s rod of protection and staff of correction comfort him.
What did David do? Little to nothing. What did God do? Everything. How powerful this truth is, especially knowing that David may have written it as the king of Israel. Here we are reminded of our desperate need of God. Left to ourselves, we can do nothing. We are too foolish to know what is good for us. But, under God’s loving providential care, we are given abundantly more than we need. In this, we see a picture of the gospel.
Comes Exaltation
We cannot miss the final two verses, though. David shifts the metaphor as he concludes the psalm. No longer is God the shepherd and David the sheep, now it is more likely that God is the King and David is the subject. God is still the one at work, though.
The Lord prepares a table for David—in the presence of his enemies. This is not insignificant; it marks how God will vindicate His people.
The Lord anoints David and provides more than ample provision.
The Lord’s goodness and faithful love pursue David—there is no escaping them!
The Lord invites David to dwell in His house forevermore.
Notice that the once lowly sheep has been exalted now. He is not inconsequential. He matters. And in this, we see God’s beautiful plan for us. When we pursue our own fame, we will be brought low—God is a jealous God a consuming fire. But when we follow His ways, when we live with humility, He exalts us. We end up where we desired to be in the first place—but we end up there the right way and in the right posture. No matter how highly God might exalt us, we will recognize that He is infinitely higher. Our exaltation only drives us toward deeper humility and wanting to exalt the Lord—our Good Shepherd—all the more.
Preschool Tip: This may be your preschoolers’ first interaction with Psalm 23, so don’t rush past the psalm itself. If you can, build in time to practice saying portions of the psalm together. Getting these verses into the minds of your preschoolers is an important step of getting it into their hearts as well.
Kids Tip: Psalm 23 has brought comfort to so many people, so you may want to take some time to encourage your kids to commit it to memory and show them how it can bring comfort, especially in times of adversity. If you have drawn strength from this psalm, tell your kids about that. This is a great opportunity to help our kids understand that the Bible is not just for study—as important as that is—but also a precious gift to help us through life.
-From Brian Dembowczyk at TGP website
#JesusJams for today!
CLICK HERE for this weeks story summary
Christ Connection: Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He gave up His life to save us from sin. Because of Jesus, we have hope that one day we will live with God forever.
If you have a bible at your house, turn to Psalm 23. If you don't have one, that's okay! CLICK HERE.
OPTION 1: Sheep herders Form two teams of kids. Give each kid a chenille stem and help them bend one end to form an L shape. Play a game of tabletop hockey, using the chenille stems as sticks and a cotton ball as the puck. Designate two areas as goals and assign one team to defend each. The teams will use their sticks to push the puck into the opposing team’s goal. Remind Kids •That was fun. Obviously, shepherds don’t knock their sheep around with their staffs, but sometimes it is necessary for shepherds to use their staffs to gently push sheep in the direction they should go. A good shepherd guides and cares for his sheep. Today we will learn how God’s love for us is similar in some ways to a shepherd’s love for his sheep.
OPTION 2: Sheep Craft Gather the materials you'll need for the craft:
-Blue (or any color) construction paper
-Black paper for the head and legs
-Large Googly-eyes
-Cotton balls
-Paper plate
-Scissors and Glue
-The verse printable you can find HERE
Allow kids to glue the paper plate onto the colored construction paper. Then they should glue cotton balls onto the plate until it's completely covered. Next they should cut out the shapes for the head and legs and glue them into their spots. Finally, kids can add googly-eyes to the sheeps head. At the top or bottom of their page, kids should glue the memory verse that was printed for them. Let it sit until all the glue is dry.
Remind Kids• That was fun. Your paper looks like a sheep enjoying a nice, quiet rest in a field. That reminds me of David’s song! David wrote a song to praise God. In that song, he says that God let him rest in green pastures, just like these sheep! Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He gave up His life to save us from sin. Because of Jesus, we have hope that one day we will live with God forever.
OUR BIG PICTURE QUESTION!
OUR BIBLE VERSE!
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