A Good Shepherd: Today's Good Pet Parent (Psalm 23)

The author's small dog on a walking path

The 23^rd Psalm is a favourite for many of us, and yet its very familiarity can diminish some of the beauty held in the promise of this psalm. I imagine that as a good shepherd, Jesus walks beside me as a companion, guide, and caregiver. But unlike David, I have never worked as a shepherd. I don’t have first-hand knowledge of the life of a shepherd, or what it is like to be a good shepherd.

But I know what it’s like to have a dog, and to be a good pet parent, caregiver, or owner. I love the little fellow, look after him, train him and lead him where he needs to go. It can be very meaningful to move biblical imagery into relatable language, to think of a good shepherd as a good pet parent. If you imagine it with me, I hope it will allow you to realize how the Lord loves us, looks after us, and leads us, in the same way that we love and care for our pets.

Psalm of a Pet Parent

I am my dog’s caregiver.

I give him all that he needs. He wants for nothing.

I let him rest on sunny blankets and on my warm lap.

And I lead him to fresh drinking water.

I give him food for strength, a coat for warmth, and toys for happiness.

I train him for impulse control and reward him for good behaviour.

When I move from the kitchen to the office or the office to the living room, he follows me.

I lead him on the right path and rescue his paw when it gets caught.

When we go beside new people or big dogs, he quivers, and I scoop him up

When he is riding in my front pack, he is not afraid.

He fears no evil because I am with him.

My arms protect him. My whispers comfort him.

I prepare a banquet of healthy food.

I groom him with oil and brushes.

I teach him to trust others to aid in his care.

His heart overflows with happiness.

He cannot contain his joy when he jumps to see me!

He trusts me.

Goodness, mercy, and love I have promised him,

And my house will be his home as long as he lives.

Elaine Kelly

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Elaine Ricker Kelly Author is empowering women with historical fiction about women in the Bible and early church and Christian blogs about women in leadership, church history and doctrine. Her books include:

• Forgotten Followers from Broken to Bold, Book 1, A Novel (2022)

• The Sword: A Fun Way to Engage in Healthy Debate on What the Bible Says About a Woman's Role (2023)

• Because She Was Called from Broken to Bold, Book 2, A Novel of the Early Church (2024)

• Walk with Mara on Her Healing Journey: 21 Steps to Emotional Resilience (2024)

• Finding Her Voice from Broken to Bold, Book 3, Acts of Early Female Apostles: A Novel (2025)