The Shepherd’s Song

Five-minute object lesson

Prop: a stuffed sheep or a cotton-ball sheep

Hold up a stuffed sheep or a cotton-ball sheep. In about five minutes, tell the class this: David knows how shepherds care for sheep, and he sings that the Lord cares for him that way. Show the prop and ask, “What does this have to do with The Shepherd’s Song?” Let two children answer. Then read Psalms 23:1 together: “Yahweh is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing.” Close by asking one child to say the lesson back in their own words, using the prop.

Story script

Before David wore a crown, he knew the paths sheep take. A good shepherd leads them to grass and quiet water. He carries a staff to guide them and a rod to keep danger back. He knows which lamb tends to wander.

God sent Samuel to Jesse’s house to anoint a king. The tall brothers looked impressive. God said he looks at the heart. David was out with the sheep. They brought him in, ruddy and bright-eyed, and Samuel anointed him. The Spirit of the Lord came on David.

David’s songs stayed honest his whole life, in pastures and in palaces. “The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul.” Even in a dark valley, the shepherd’s rod and staff were a comfort.

You are not a forgotten lamb. God knows the path, the water, and the night. When you lie down, you can pray David’s song slowly until the words feel like a blanket.

Open the bedtime version