Psalm 23 NASB
4b For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Some people see God as a tyrant, angrily sitting on a throne, thumping people on the head with a rod when they get out of line. To them He uses the staff to stomp the ground when angry and pull people to Him for admonishment when they are bad.
I have to admit, with my Catholic upbringing, that's what I thought. It wasn't until I left the Catholic Church and began attending a "non denominational" Christian Church I discovered the truth of God's love.
And the truth of the rod and the staff? They are never used in an angry or abusive manner on the sheep.
The rod is a weapon used by the shepherd to protect the sheep. It is used to defend the flock when predators try to steal one away. It is sometimes thrown over the flock to move them quickly form an area where danger could exist.
The staff is used to guide the sheep to a direction the shepherd wants them to go. This is done by laying the staff on the side of the sheep and gently changing their course. The hook at the end is used to draw an individual sheep close to the shepherd for inspection or one on one time.
In the same way, Jesus as our Good Shepherd uses these tools to protect us and gently keep us on course. He also uses the hook to draw us close for inspection or one on one time.
God's tools are His word and the Holy Spirit. His word teaches us the way we should go, the life God wants from us, the relationship He wants with us. The Holy Spirit shows us the changes we need to make, He convicts us when we are wrong and helps us get back on the path Christ knows is best for us.
Just as a good shepherd has the safety and best interests of his flock at heart and only provides the best for them, The Lord as our Good Shepherd will protect us, have our best interest at heart and only provide the best for us.
We just have to trust Him as our Good Shepherd.
Blessings, Cecilia
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