Psalm Friday

His Rod and His Staff

Psalm Friday

Psalm 23, continued

* Pray. Ask God to give you an open heart and mind to learn new truths from His Word. Read Psalm 23 through three times. Record any thoughts or questions you have in your journal. If a verse stands out to you, write it on an index card and begin committing it to memory.

“Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
Psalm 23:4b, NKJV

The rod and the staff are two very important instruments for the shepherd. One will be used to defend the shepherd and his sheep; it will be a symbol of the shepherd’s strength, power, and authority; and extension of his own person. The other will be a picture of the shepherds’ concern and compassion for his sheep; this will be the shepherd’s instrument of comfort.

In order to defend his flock of sheep, a shepherd would crave from a piece of wood a club or a rod. This rod would be whittled down until it fit the exact size of the shepherd himself. The rod would be a an extension of the shepherd’s right arm. It symbolized his strength, power, and authority. A shepherd would use his rod in a dangerous situation to protect himself and his flock. Not only was the rod an instrument of defense, it was also an instrument of correction and discipline for the wandering sheep.

For us, the human sheep, our Shepherd’s rod is the spoken Word of God recorded in the pages of Scripture. God’s Word is an extension of His strength, power, and authority. In our day and age there are many outlandish philosophies being taught which leads to total confusion and chaos in the minds and hearts of people. There is great comfort for the child of God in turning to the Word of God and seeing plainly the Shepherd’s hand of authority. There is much comfort in having the authoritative Word of God to go to for direction and instruction; and that is what the Psalmist David meant when he said, “Your rod…comfort(s) me.” It the midst of a world turned upside down in turmoil and chaos, found within the rod of the Good Shepherd, there is comfort.

Not only does the rod, God’s Word, comfort the flock, it also disciplines. It is God’s Word that comes quickly to the heart of the believer when he has gone astray, bringing correction and reproof. It is God’s Word that disciplines, brings under control, and sets the wayward sheep on the right path. It is by God’s Word, through God’s Word, and because of God’s Word that we are kept under control by Jesus Christ who desires for us to walk in His paths of righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

A shepherd’s staff is his identification to the fact that he is a shepherd. There is no other profession that carries with it the shepherd’s staff. This staff is designed especially to meet the needs of the sheep. A shepherd’s staff represents his care, concern, and compassion for his sheep.

The Shepherd’s rod represents the Word of God, while the Shepherd’s staff represents to us the Spirit of God. In Christ’s dealing with his flock, there is a sense of the gentleness, the comfort and solace, and the tender correction brought about by the gracious work of the Holy Spirit.

Just as the staff is pivotal in directing a flock, so too, is the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. The Holy Spirit comforts believers by bringing us together to experience personal fellowship and encouragement with one another. In our walk with the Lord, it is the Holy Spirit whom Christ sent to guide us and to lead us into all truth (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit takes the Word of God and gives us understanding to its meaning for our lives. It is the Holy Spirit who leads us to walk in the way of righteousness and holiness. It is the Holy Spirit who makes Christ real within the life of the believer.

Friends, the Christian life is not about religion. The Christian life is about experiencing, firsthand the touch of the Good Shepherd. It is about sensing His Spirit rest upon your weary, troubled soul. The Christian life is an intimate relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. For the flock belonging to the Good Shepherd, there is a calm, quiet rest in knowing He is there to direct every minute of one’s life. It is His rod and His staff that bring comfort to the hearts, minds, and souls and His sheep.