“Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).
When David talked of the valley of the shadow of death, he said he lived with no fear of it. Then, speaking to the Shepherd, he explained, “For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). First, the rod which the shepherd used for protection was about three to four feet long. It was basically a club which the shepherd used against enemies which would attack or kill the sheep. In the wilderness of Judea, David fended off attacks from a lion and a bear, both of which would have attacked and killed his sheep. The rod was never laid on the backs of the sheep. It fell only on the enemies.
The second implement which brought comfort to David was the shepherd’s staff, a branch with a crook on it, sometimes soaked in water until the end became soft and pliable. Then it was bent into the form of a deeper crook. It was a walking stick for the shepherd, but its real use was to lift sheep which had fallen into a ravine or crevice. It was for the sheep.
The first was used on the enemies of the flock; the latter on the sheep themselves. But both brought comfort to David. He was convinced that both were sufficient to offer protection for the duration of his life, until the time he crossed through the valley of the shadow of death. But regardless of how effective each was, the rod and staff were valuable only when they were in the hands of the shepherd.
This, of course, means that the integrity of the shepherd is of prime importance. On a certain occasion, Jesus talked with his disciples about the importance of the shepherd. He said, “‘The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So, when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me'” (John 10:12-14).
All of this raises an important issue: How deep is the commitment of the shepherd to the sheep? In terms of life today, how much does my life matter to God? Does He really care, or is He so busy with the affairs of so many people that He seldom notices what is happening to me?
Have you ever been at the beach or with a large group of people? Your children were playing in the surf or with a noisy group of children having fun, when a child’s cry was heard above the noise of the din of laughter. Immediately, a mother springs to her feet. It’s her child, and she knows that voice above all others. When you have become God’s child, and Jesus has become your Shepherd, you can be sure He knows your need and can be depended on to walk with you through the dark valleys of life.
A closing thought. Jesus said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9). He also said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). By this He was saying that God does His part, and you must do yours by inviting Him to be your Lord and Savior.
David was confident that the relationship would continue long far beyond the valley of the shadow of death. He said, “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Jesus said, “I’ve gone to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself so that where I am, you may be also.”
The great Shepherd has gone to prepare a place for you. Trust Him to take you there.
Resource reading: Psalm 23.
