My Shepherd's rod and staff comfort me

"Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me."

 Psalm 23:4

The rod and staff are essential tools of work for every responsible shepherd. Without these two instruments, the flock will be severely in danger.

Straying is a common problem with sheep.  Sheep tend to lose focus on the shepherd and thus easily stray away from the flock. As they stray, he sheep easily wander on to dangerous grounds such as steep cliffs or where the predators are. If not rescued, the sheep may be killed.

An alert shepherd, besides leading the flock right up front, has to always look out for the wayward sheep. The shepherd will use his rod to hit that sheep as a form of discipline, to get it back on track. He is gentle but firm on the sheep but the rod is certainly used to get the stray sheep back on track.

The shepherd also uses his rod as an instrument of protection against the predators. They fight off wolves and other animals which are trying to make game of the sheep.

How I am like the wayward sheep sometimes. Unknowingly, or deliberately, I step out of God's plan for my life. If not for my Shepherd's rod of discipline, which may seem harsh to me at that point, I would have walked myself into danger. I am so glad His rod brings me back onto the even path and out of harm's way and that He uses it to protect me from my predators.

The staff, a rod with a crooked end, functions differently. Very often, a sheep strays on to a dangerous place, such a dangerous cliff. Those places may also pose a danger to the shepherd. So he reaches out to the entangled sheep with his staff, gently hooking the sheep with the crooked end and bringing the frightened sheep back to safety.

In the same way, I have experienced the gentle staff of my Shepherd, pulling me back from danger and setting me on safe grounds again. Oh, how re-assuring it is to feel the cuddling of His staff around me when I needed help. 

No wonder King David exclaimed that even as he walked through the darkest valley in his life, he had no fear, simply because he felt the comfort of the Shepherd's love and assurance, meaningfully expressed through the shepherd's rod and staff. David knew it well because he was a shepherd who cared for his sheep.

And I know too, because my Shepherd cares for me all the time.

Praise the Lord!

God bless.

Steven