When living by joyful, obedient faith, David found his Shepherd’s rod and staff to be of comfort (Psalm 23:4). Each piece of the Shepherd’s equipment was a source of security and strength.
A shepherd’s rod was a club that measured about two feet in length. Its primary function was to protect. When a predator such as a lion or wolf attacked a sheep, the shepherd would swing the club in its defense. If the predator was some distance off, the rod could be hurled like a missile. This implement might also be used to chasten a wayward sheep. In this, David found comfort.
A shepherd’s staff, or crook, was a walking stick that had a hook on one end. It had several significant uses. It could pry a sheep loose when it had gotten itself stuck in a tight spot. It could be used to push branches and brush away from a narrow path. Its hook could be used to rescue a sheep that had wandered off the path into a crevice or had fallen into a pit. In this, David found comfort.
These implements of correction, protection, and direction gave David peace of mind in a world in which the Devil prowls like a roaring lion. Does the Good Shepherd’s rod and staff bring comfort to you?
