How "Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me"

Believers, have you noticed how even nominal christians are unable to escape memorizing Psalms 23 (The Lord is my Shepherd....) from childhood? The Lord made it so:) Our Saviour did not call us His sheep and Himself our Shepherd just to fill up space in the bible. He did so for us to see how hopelessly helpless we would be without Him. He Himself said "For without me you can do nothing."

David was a shepherd before he became king and he understood that a sheep is absolutely dependent on its shepherd. This is reflected throughout the popular Psalm. Remember verse 4:

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

The rod of a shepherd is a two to four foot club used for defending and protecting the sheep from predators and robbers. It is a weapon or tool to provide safety for the flock: Christ our Shepherd and His promise of protection for His sheep in all of Psalms 91.

The staff is a slender stick with a hook or crook at one end, somewhat like those umbrella sticks with curved handles. It is used to hold the sheep during shearing and for gentle correction or re-directing when a sheep is going astray. The staff is used in guiding the sheep as they are moving along, because sheep tend to wander off. They always think the pasture is greener somewhere else, and they start to wander away.

Here's a real-life shepherd's account of the use of his staff. Picture yourself as the sheep here and see Christ's love for you:

Start: "There are three areas of sheep management in which the staff plays a most significant role. The first of these lies in drawing sheep together into an intimate relationship. The shepherd will use his staff to gently lift a newborn lamb and bring it to its mother if they become parted. He does this because he does not wish to have the ewe reject her offspring if it bears the odor of his hands upon it. (Christ makes sure we feed -hear His word - from the right mothers and fathers in the Lord)

...the staff is used by the shepherd to reach out and catch individual sheep, young or old, and draw them close to himself for intimate examination. The staff is very useful this way for the shy and timid sheep normally tend to keep at a distance from the shepherd.

The staff is also used for guiding sheep. Again and again I have seen a shepherd use his staff to guide his sheep gently into a new path or through some gate or along dangerous, difficult routes. He does not use it actually to beat the beast. Rather, the tip of the long slender stick is laid gently against the animal's side and the pressure applied guides the sheep in the way the owner wants it to go. Thus the sheep is reassured of its proper path.

Being stubborn creatures sheep often get into the most ridiculous and preposterous dilemmas. I have seen my own sheep, greedy for one more mouthful of green grass, climb down steep cliffs where they slipped and fell into the sea. Only my long shepherd's staff could lift them out of the water back onto solid ground.

Another common occurrence was to find sheep stuck fast in labyrinths of wild roses or brambles where they had pushed in to find a few stray mouthfuls of green grass. Soon the thorns were so hooked in their wool they could not possibly pull free, tug as they might. Only the use of the staff could free them from their entanglement." End

Believers, Christ is not in the business of leaving His sheep that go astray to perish in their troubles. In Him, His rod and His staff they comfort us. Covered on every side! The Lord protects us His sheep and keeps us from going astray! His correction is for our profit, never harmful. EVEN OUR GIVING (shearing of the sheep) is ordered by the Lord. In Christ, there is no escaping His goodness and mercy. Believers, our Lord and our God Jesus Christ wants nothing more than for you to be His sheep and He your Shepherd.

Yet many people present our loving Abba Father as a hard Taskmaster who will abandon you, His own child in Christ, in the middle of your troubles because you wandered of! Because you sinned. This is not the Good News. Where is the comfort here? Even we humans would forcefully carry our kids across busy highways and to safety if they did their best to wriggle out of our grip as we walked together! How much more our Father in heaven who gave His own Son up for us just so that we can be His little children!

Believers, in Christ, we're no longer the ones holding onto our Lord God where our mistakes (wandering off like sheep) big or small, spell doom for us. This is the law. Under grace - undeserved, unmerited favour, we get to walk the right path and avoid danger because the Lord Himself, our Shepherd, leads us on the path of righteousness. With His rod, He defends and protects us. With His staff, He keeps us from going astray and draws us into intimacy with Himself. He is the One upholding us with His righteous right hand. By His grace, let's be bold and confident in His upholding because He said so Himself: Isaiah 41:10-

'Fear not, for I am with you;

Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

The Holy Spirit will teach you all things.

Believe Right and you will Live Right.