Thursday 10/3/2024
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
-Psalm 23:4
Psalm 23 is all about God being a shepherd and people being His flock of sheep.
Shepherds of that time were highly skilled caretakers. They were tasked with moving sheep from one location to another. The shepherds had to be adept at navigating the land which was very dangerous to their flock. They relied heavily on two tools; the rod and the staff.
During the shepherd’s travels he would often have to use the curly end of his staff to pull his sheep out of thick brush or to lift his sheep if it were to have fallen. The staff was also used to steer the sheep back on course when they would start to stray and get lost. The shepherd would use his rod, which was similar to a club, to ward off predators trying to cause harm to his sheep.
Jesus used a parable in Matthew 18 to depict His Father, God, as a shepherd that would leave a flock of 99 sheep to go find/rescue that 1 lost sheep.
The implication is that God the Father would have the same attitude toward His own “little ones,” believers in Jesus, who go astray.
For us today, the shepherd is God and we are His sheep. He uses His rod and His staff to rescue us from dangerous situations and get us to safety.
You can rest easy knowing that the good shepherd, God, is always watching over you, His sheep. When you are going through tough times or feeling lost, there is no need to worry because God is coming with His rod and His staff to rescue you.