In the previous post, we considered the shepherd’s rod.  As pointed out there, the rod of God is His word.  Now let us consider the Shepherd’s staff.  As David wrote in Psalm 23:3, “Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.” Because the shepherd was present, the psalmist had no fear when walking “through the valley of the shadow of death”.   Therefore, His rod and His staff provided the comfort to His sheep.  The word of God, His rod brings comfort to the weary soul.  Trusting His Word, we are protected from the lies that would lead us astray.  Ah, but the Shepherd’s staff brings even more comfort to the soul.  God’s comforting staff is the Holy Spirit.

Jesus told His disciples, “the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name. He shall teach you all things. And bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26). His promise was that the Spirit would abide in us, with us. “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever.  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him. But ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless” (John 14:16-18).

The Shepherd’s Staff

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Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me (Psalm 23:3).  But what is the Rod of God?  Most of my life I have heard preachers speak of the rod of God being His disciplining hand.  However, to understand what David means, we must consider how the shepherd uses his rod.  Only then can we know the comfort that the rod of God brings.  For the shepherd, his tools in the days of David were the rod and the staff.

I learned a lot reading Philip Keller’s A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23.  He spoke of watching the children in Africa who were learning to be a shepherd practicing daily their skills at accurately throwing their rod.  For you see, the rod had three major purposes.  First to turn a wayward wandering sheep away from danger.  Secondly, the rod is used to carefully exam the sheep.  And finally, it is used to destroy a predator that desires to harm the sheep. The rod was never used to beat the sheep into submission.  Rather, if the shepherd saw a sheep heading in a dangerous direction, he would hurl the rod through the air.  Precisely the rod would land beside the sheep and cause him to turn to the right or left away from danger.

Also, the rod was used to carefully look beneath the wool, inspecting the sheep for blemishes and imperfections.  Therein, he could ever so gently treat the blemishes and heal the wounds.

Also, with the rod, he would destroy the venomous snakes or other predators before they could harm the sheep.  The Shepherd’s rod was his instrument to protect his sheep from harm, whether that be from the sheep’s own foolish self-will or from the predators desiring their demise.

So, what is the Rod of God?

Continue reading What is the Rod of God that Comforts Me? →

When reading Psalm 23, it begins with praise for the Shepherd. Suddenly, there is a turn and now the Psalm becomes very intimate.  “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me” (Psalm 23:3).  Shepherds move their flocks during the winter months to the lush green pastures on the mountaintop.  The Shepherd has gone before them to find the best pastures.  He walked the treacherous path and knows the dangers that they will face, for He has already faced them before.  The journey may lead them on paths that are narrowed.  Shadows of death and destruction may surround them along this journey. However, it is through the treacherous, darkest valleys they must walk to find the best nourishment of their soul.

Along this journey, they learn to trust the Shepherd.  Their most intimate walk with Him is through the darkest Valleys. David knew this well.  Saul, enraged by David’s popularity and intimate walk with God, set out to kill and destroy him.  Yet, David ran through the darkest valleys into the mountains to escape Saul.  David already knew the dangerous, darkest valleys; because, as a Shepherd, he had walked them before.  It was God who had called him to become the next King and he would have to trust God to lead him through the darkest valleys where the “shadows of death” surrounded him.  There in the darkest valleys, his song turned to an intimate conversation with God.  Suddenly, his praise turned to a talk with God.

Facing the Darkest Valleys

Continue reading How to Be Fearless When in The Darkest Valleys →