“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want…” —Psalm 23:1
Psalm 23 is one of the most beloved passages in all of Scripture. Its words have echoed through hospital rooms, battlefields, family devotions, and late-night prayers. But have you ever paused to read it through the eyes of a child? There’s something profoundly powerful about returning to this psalm not with adult intellect, but with childlike faith. When we do, the love of God leaps from the page in a way that is tender, secure, and deeply personal.
Trust Without Hesitation
A child doesn’t analyze, strategize, or worry about the future. They simply trust. When David declares, “The LORD is my shepherd,” a child hears, “God is watching over me. He’ll take care of me.” That trust is total. Children believe without doubting because their hearts are open and unburdened by skepticism. Imagine the kind of peace we’d experience if we trusted God like that—freely, fully, and without a backup plan.
This is the first way God’s love is revealed: He longs for us to rest in Him the way a child rests in a parent’s arms, completely sure of their safety.
A Shepherd Who Knows Our Name
To a child, the idea of a shepherd isn’t just poetic; it’s deeply relational. A shepherd isn’t a distant figure in the field. He’s the one who knows every sheep by name. He picks them up when they fall. He sings over them at night. He fights for them when danger comes. When children hear “He makes me lie down in green pastures,” they picture God tucking them in at night, making sure they’re safe and cared for.
This shows us the personal, attentive nature of God’s love. He doesn’t just care for the flock—He cares for you. He wants you to feel known, loved, and never forgotten.
Comfort in the Dark
Children understand fear more clearly than many adults are willing to admit. The dark is scary. Being alone is scary. That’s why verse 4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,” can speak so powerfully through a child’s lens. When a child is afraid, they reach out for the hand of someone stronger.
God doesn’t promise we’ll never face shadows—but He does promise we won’t face them alone. His rod and staff aren’t for show. They’re tools of rescue, protection, and guidance. A child doesn’t need to understand the theology of suffering to know that they are safe when God is near.
A Feast of Belonging
Verse 5 talks about a table prepared in the presence of enemies. For a child, this might feel like being invited to sit at a party where they know they’re special—where their name is on the place card and their favorite food is served. Even when life feels hostile or uncertain, God’s love creates spaces of belonging. His goodness isn’t just for heaven—it’s for now, even in the midst of trials.
Children remind us that we don’t earn our place at the table. We’re welcomed because we’re loved.
A Forever Home
Finally, Psalm 23 ends with the most childlike, hope-filled promise: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” A child hears, “I get to live with God—forever!” There’s no fear in that. There’s joy. Excitement. Expectation.
God’s love is not temporary or conditional. It’s forever. He is a Father who wants us with Him always. What greater comfort could there be?
Come Like a Child
Jesus said, “Unless you become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3). That wasn’t a call to immaturity—it was a call to purity of heart, to trust, and to the kind of openness that sees God’s love without filters or fear.
As the people of Christ, we believe in helping people walk through life’s darkest valleys. But we also believe that no matter how dark it gets, the Good Shepherd is always with us. And if we can learn to see Him through the eyes of a child, we might just discover the most powerful truth of all:
We are deeply loved. Always. Forever.
*Image Credit “Sing a Song of Gladness” Arch Books, 1974
