Thy rod and they staff they comfort me; what a concept! Two weeks ago we covered how the Shepherd's rod can be a great comfort and assurance when we are attempting to follow the Good Shepherd. We will continue with the concept of how the second part of that, the Shepherd's staff can also bring great comfort. Psalm 23:4c Thy staff . . . . . comforts me. In a sense, the staff, more than any other item of his personal equipment, identifies the shepherd as a shepherd. No one in any other profession carries a shepherd's staff. 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 designed, shaped and adapted especially to the needs of sheep. The staff is essentially a symbol of the concern, the compassion that a shepherd has for his charges. No other single word can better describe its function on behalf of the flock than that it is for their "comfort." Whereas the rod conveys the concept of authority, of power, of discipline, of defense against danger, the word "staff" speaks of all that is longsuffering, compassionate and kind. The shepherd's staff is normally a long, slender stick, often with a crook or hook on one end. It is selected with care by the owner; it is shaped, smoothed, and cut to best suit his own personal use. Just as the rod was suited to the shepherd's size and strength, so too is the staff. Whereas the rod was more like a club, the staff is more like a long walking stick or shaft. Also, the staff is of special comfort to the shepherd as an individual. In the tough tramps and during the long weary watches with his sheep, many times he leans on it or uses it for support and strength. It becomes to him a very special piece of equipment that in part provides comfort and help in his duties. There are roughly three main areas of sheep management in which the staff plays a particularly important and unique role. The first of these lies in drawing sheep together into an intimate relationship. The shepherd will use his staff to gently lift a newborn lamb and bring it to its mother if they become parted. He does this because he does not wish to have the ewe reject her offspring if it bears the odor of his hands upon it. This is something that is particularly prevalent in the animal kingdom among many species. It could literally mean a death sentence if a newly born animal bears the distinct odor of a human. Also, 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. The staff is very useful this way because the shy and timid sheep normally tend to keep at a distance from the shepherd. Just like the rod that was an extension of the shepherd's arms, so also is the staff, but unlike the hard knobby-like surface of the club or rod which can be used to help pull the toughened wool back for detailed inspection of the skin, the staff is used more for a gathering closer of the sheep and shepherd or for more intimate contact. The staff is not as hard or as firm as the rod but it is every bit as strong and durable. It is meant to define even to the sheep a longing for closeness rather than a harsh inspection. Even though with the rod a shepherd may not want to be harsh when inspecting the sheep for bruises and cuts to the skin underneath the wool, the very texture of that wool demands the use of the rod. Much like us humans who can be "thick skinned" at times when it comes to our relationship with the Lord, it is the very "thick skinned" nature of the sheep that demands a little bit firmer touch also. The staff on the other hand is not meant for that type of inspection but rather a more gentle and flexible way in which to gain a closeness to the individual animal the shepherd wants to spend time with. Like any tradesman who knows which tool to use for which job for the best and most advantageous way towards productivity so it is with a wise and knowing shepherd. He uses the tool that best suits the need at hand. So it is in our walk with the Good Shepherd. We can take GREAT comfort and assurance in knowing if there is ever an expert in what is best for us, it would be Christ Jesus Himself, who knew us before the very foundation of the world! He knows exactly what tool is most appropriate for any given situation and when we are facing different situations in our lives, we can find a lot of comfort in that perfect knowledge He has as well as His ability to use what is necessary to expedite exactly what it is He is trying to accomplish in our lives! Those who are especially young or fairly new in a spiritual sense, those that might be considered a "newborn" in the spiritual world and especially those whose spirits have been blinded for a long time and now have been awakened will benefit most from the "staff" of the Lord. What might at times seem like a pulling or tugging at one's self and the frustration that goes with not always knowing what the sensations really are, can rest assured that it is the Lord Jesus just wanting to draw you a little closer to Himself and actually pulling you apart and away from those you might be gathering or congregating with. It is so that you can develop a closeness and intimacy with the Good Shepherd apart from the noisy and "bleating sheep" that you are hanging around with! Even though you might feel some "pressure" or pulling in this direction or that, it is not a painful situation and can actually be a rather "uplifting" circumstance, no pun intended! When the shepherd lifts the sheep above his mates and draws the firm willowy staff towards Himself, it gives the sheep a whole new perspective, even if it only seems momentary! The Lord knew exactly what He was doing when He likened us, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit on the writers of the Bible books, to sheep. One other thing, the staff is also used for guiding sheep. In my research I have read time and again in different articles where a shepherd uses his staff to guide his sheep gently into a new path or through some gate or along some dangerous, difficult and even at times treacherous routes. Unlike how cattle have to be moved the shepherd does not use it to actually beat or drive the sheep. Rather, 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. It is actually lead or directed rather than driven or pushed. This is the biggest difference between how cattle and how sheep have to be moved. Another comparison to humans is that sheep can be really stubborn animals, and being stubborn creatures they (the sheep) often get into the most ridiculous and preposterous dilemmas and circumstances. If you remember I told you that we had a couple of sheep when I was younger and I have watched them burrow (no exaggeration either) under a pen we had for them and once out go out to the cow's pasture and get themselves into some situations where they get stuck in some of the fences (which were different for the cows) just because they must have been thinking, "the grass was greener somewhere else!" Also, we had a couple small earthen ponds that usually stayed (at least partially) with water but they were usually so sticky muddy, because of the type of earth and the sheep, even though they had done it before, would wander into the pond and get their legs stuck and couldn't move at times. If our little acreage had been any more than what it was, we wouldn't have heard their pitiful bleating every time they got stuck! Most of the time it took a shepherd's crook or staff to be able to pull them out because of the way the muck and mud would grab even our legs! More than one time I had to watch as dad grabbed that staff or hook when he heard the bleating because he just knew they were stuck again! It was the long shepherd's staff that could lift them out of the water and put them back on solid ground. Now don't get the wrong idea, we were NOT shepherds by any means and my father did NOT have the patience to deal with them for long so he settled more for the dumb farm animals rather than the stubborn ones! But it did let me see just what a shepherd's staff could do, even if it was a Hay & Feed Store bought one! Now again according to my research, another common occurrence was to find sheep stuck fast in labyrinths of wild roses or brambles where they had pushed in to find a few stray mouthfuls of green grass. Soon the thorns were so hooked in their wool they could not possibly pull free, tug as they might. Only the use of the staff could free them from their entanglement. To a shepherd as well as to the sheep, the staff was a "tool" that couldn't be done without. It was a strength and comfort to the shepherd not only when resting but also when walking some of the steep and rough terrain. It was also a guide and support to the sheep to help keep them on the paths and from falling off at times. It helped not only the shepherd but the sheep at time to keep their footing. It was also a tool used to draw the sheep to the shepherd for a closer more intimate relationship and that is how so much of the relationship between the sheep and the shepherd got started. I can just imagine that at times when that young sheep would feel itself being lifted up and drawn to its master, it knew it was going to have a wonderful time one on one. So it is with Christ Jesus and us. He is constantly drawing us closer and closer to Him into that ever more intimate time of one on one. He wants us to find comfort in those times when He uses the staff. When we feel the pressure to move this direction or that direction and we hear Him talking gently but firmly to us to go this way or that or to watch our footing in this area and such. David definitely knew what he was talking about when he likened the Lord to that Good Shepherd and even Jesus when using parables and talking about the various ways that sheep react to their shepherd and especially the shepherd's voice and such. As sheep we can be very, very stubborn indeed. Now don't get me wrong, do not liken stubbornness to stupidity or ignorance. You can at times liken it to lack of wisdom, but it is during those times that we SHOULD find a great deal of reassurance and comfort in the fact that our Good Shepherd knows just how to wield the rod AND the staff. Once we know what it is that He is doing in our lives and the way that our Christ Jesus shapes and molds us we don't have to be fearful of the club for even though it is a sign of discipline and authority, in the hands of THE EXPERT it keeps us safe, keeps us focused, keeps us free from harm and it also identifies or makes it easy for the Lord to identify those hidden cuts and bruises that we have received through our travels through this life. And the staff; what an awesome tool indeed. Something so very simple, yet so strong and flexible, able to help us keep our direction AND keep our footing. Saves us from some of the pitfalls that our lack of focus gets us into and does it without having to beat us! It is a tool that restores us to our place within the "herd" (group) where we belong and keeps us intimately a tight-knit group under the watchful and loving eyes of the Master Shepherd! If you take just rod and staff and do a little studying for yourself and then meditate, think and consider, all that the rod AND the staff signify, it can really open your eyes to your place in your relationship with the Lord! It can open up the reality of just HOW much He truly loves and cares for us and the passion that He has for each of us as individuals; and that is just on contemplating those two tools of a shepherd's trade! It is no wonder that people fall so in love with not just the Bible, but the written Word of God! There is so much in it, so much that is compressed into just minute sentences at times that it is astounding the wisdom that went into writing the Scriptures. At times it could be so easy to just go on and on and on. But the Holy Spirit knows just what is needed to digest and nourish a person's spirit! Next time, we will continue on with the first part of verse 5, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. . . ." My continued prayer for everyone is that as you seek a closer relationship to our Good Shepherd, that you will become more familiar with His rod and staff in YOUR life and that you too will also find great comfort and assurance just as David did! God bless you all so very much! Your Brother in Christ's service and YOURS; Pastor Roland Anyone wishing to help us with intercessory prayer or in the ministry of encouraging one another or even if you have a desire to help with teaching or devotionals etc., please feel free to email Sister Caroline Bailey by clicking on this email link provided. She will get back with you I guarantee it. Thanks & God Bless you very much! ~~Pastor Roland~~