“Your Rod and Your Staff They Comfort Me.” Psalm 23:4b

Week 8 -  “Even 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.” Psalm 23:4

I’d always heard the line of Psalm 23 that says, “your rod and your staff, they comfort me,” but I had no idea how these tools connected to comfort with us as His flock.

The shepherd is near to his sheep for many reasons – comfort being one of them. He is not only watching closely as a comforter, but He is physically involved. He’s ready with His rod and staff to protect us along the way.

A verse we often turn to when thinking of God’s comfort is Philippians 4:6, which says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Are you familiar with the words immediately prior to that verse? It says, “The Lord is near” (Phillippians 4:5b).

Similarly, in this Psalm, David prefaces his proclamation that “your rod and your staff, they comfort me,” with the statement, “you are with me.”

The Lord is near. You are with me.

Oh how comforting God’s presence is – and how quickly we can forget it.

You likely know that a rod and staff “are the common and universal equipment of the primitive sheepman.” But as God is always in the details, there’s so much more depth here! Let’s dive in.

HIS ROD

What is a rod? Keller teaches that, “[the rod] stood as a symbol of [the shepherd’s] strength, his power, his authority in any serious situation. The rod was what he relied on to safeguard both himself and his flock in danger. And it was, furthermore, the instrument he used to discipline and correct any wayward sheep that insisted on wandering away.”

Keller reminds us of three examples in scripture where a rod is referenced. First, when “God called Moses, the desert shepherd, and sent him to deliver Israel out of Egypt from under Pharaoh’s bondage, it was his rod that was to demonstrate the power vested in him. It was always through Moses’ rod that miracles were made manifest not only to convince Pharaoh of Moses’ divine commission, but also to reassure the people of Israel” (emphasis added). 

Keller then describes that when David recounts to Saul that he has killed lions and bears, David uses the word “struck” to describe how he defended himself, a term that references his rod (1 Samuel 17:34-36).

Thirdly, Keller mentions when Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness and how “it was the rod of God’s word that Christ, our Good Shepherd, used in His own encounter with [the enemy].” 

What does it look like to live in confidence in the protection and defense of the word of God as our rod?

Keller encourages, “In every situation and under every circumstance there is comfort in the knowledge that God’s Word can meet and master the difficulty if we will rely on it” (emphasis added). Just as the rod provides comfort for the sheep, Keller says, “...so in our day there is great assurance in our own hearts as we contemplate the power, veracity, and potent authority vested in God’s Word.”

Remember the dog on the leash from our previous journal? “If the shepherd saw a sheep wandering away on its own, or approaching poisonous weeds, or getting too close to danger of one sort or another, the club would go whistling through the air to send the wayward animal scurrying back to the bunch.” This is an example of the defense God’s rod provides against danger or the purposeful re-direction that He gives.

As the rod was used swiftly, Keller emphasized, “It is the word of God that comes swiftly to our hearts…it is the Spirit of the living God, using the living Word, that convicts our conscience of right conduct. In this way we are kept under control by Christ who wants us to walk in the ways of righteousness.”

Keller outlines how we find our comfort in “...this authoritative, clear-cut, powerful instrument under which to conduct ourselves…this in itself brings into our lives a great sense of quiet serenity which is precisely what the Psalmist meant when he said, ‘your rod…comfort[s] me.’”

We must trust that his discipline and redirection is ultimately for our good as He sees the bigger picture and He leads us into righteousness. We do our best to parent our children onto the path that leads them in the right direction, but our Heavenly Father leads us perfectly. We find comfort in trusting his gentle, loving intentions with His rod as He directs us to follow Him with his staff.

HIS STAFF

Keller outlines that “The shepherd’s staff is normally a long, slender stick, often with a crook or hook on one end…[it] is uniquely an instrument used for the care and management of sheep – and only sheep. It will not do for cattle, horses or hogs....[it] is essentially a symbol of the concern, the compassion that a shepherd has for his [flock]...[it] speaks of all that is longsuffering and kind” (emphasis added).

Concern, compassion, kindness, and care from our Shepherd feels like a big hug. Our Shepherd not only leads us beside still waters, leads us in paths of righteousness, and tells us to “fear not,” but He also has the mercy of patience in spite of our troubles – the very definition of longsuffering. 

Keller gives three examples of ways the staff is used. He writes, “The shepherd will use his staff to gently lift a newborn lamb and bring it to its mother if they become separated.” Oh how gently the Father will guide us to certain people in our lives for encouragement, wisdom, and direction.

What person comes to mind – one who the Lord has used to encourage you with wisdom?

Keller continues, “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.” Though it can make us feel vulnerable to realize, our Shepherd knows every thought in our head and corner of our heart. This is where I’m reminded He is near and draws us close for a relationship no matter our condition. 

David understood this as he prayed in Psalm 139: “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar… Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

What is your response to the Shepherd knowing your every thought? Do your prayers reflect a desire to be “led in the way everlasting”?

Third, Keller writes, “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.” This example points to how the Shepherd leads us into green pastures, beside still waters, and into paths of righteousness whether through conviction by the Holy Spirit, through encouragement from another Believer, or in the many other ways He works.

Where do you feel the gentle pressure of the Shepherd’s leading?

Keller writes that “only a staff could free [a sheep] from their entanglement.” I think of our stubbornness with sin that clings so closely in our lives and am once again reminded of Hebrews 12:1-2. We are called to “lay aside every weight and sin that so easily entangles,” but how? The simple answer is to fix our eyes on Jesus. The longer answer has to do with endurance and perseverance. That’s where our Shepherd’s mercy and patience comes into action.

When you picture entanglement in your life, what comes to mind? What can you specifically do to fix your eyes on Jesus to grab hold of His staff reaching to rescue you?

As we reflect on the staff’s gentle guidance to certain people, drawing us close for examination, guidance to the proper path, and rescue from our entanglements, Keller reminds us, “It is He who gently, tenderly, but persistently says to us, ‘This is the way – walk in it.’ And as we comply and cooperate with His gentle promptings, a sense of safety, comfort and well-being envelops us.”

We thank God for His gentle nudging with His staff as He shows us where to go. And what are we promised the whole way through? Comfort and compassion straight from the Shepherd.

HIS COMFORT & COMPASSION

Keller reminds us, “There is a calm, quiet repose in the knowledge that He is there to direct even in the most minute details of daily living. He can be relied on to assist us in every decision, and in this there lies tremendous comfort for the Christian.”

He then differentiates, “Just as the rod of God is emblematic of the Word of God, so the staff of God is symbolic of the Spirit of God.” As we outlined the armor of God last week, doesn’t it bring you comfort to trust in the guidance of God’s Word and nudging of the Holy Spirit?

As I reflect on John 10:27 which says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me,” Keller reminds me that the Shepherd “draws near and in tenderness lifts us by His Spirit out of the difficulty and dilemma.”

Psalm 91 details God as our refuge, our fortress, and our deliverer who will cover and guard us. In verse 15, David declares, “When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble.” Some people read that chapter in the midst of suffering and ask God why? Why did you allow this evil, this disease, to come upon my family? Does that mean God broke His promise? No. One early morning while walking, I asked a dear friend a similar question, and she then reminded me the truth in John 16:33: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” 

We point to the reality that in this world we will have suffering, but He has OVERCOME. That is where we find our comfort. And in our trials, danger, hardships? He’s there protecting with His rod. He meets us with his staff of compassion. He uses His tools to discipline, guide, and direct us for our good no matter the circumstances, and that is the ultimate comfort. We never walk alone. 

As we quoted “fear not” multiple times last week, may we continue to proclaim that anthem to ourselves and one another as we trust in the guidance, protection and leading of our Shepherd’s rod and staff. This week, we add to our list of promises about the Shepherd and proclaim: the Lord is near, for you are with me.