"Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4).
Our world is more dangerous than it was when I grew up on the '50s and '60s (That's 1950s, not 1850s!!!). As kids we had no fear of walking to the baseball fields, riding bikes across town, playing in the woods, playing "Kick the can" after dark. Today, large security forces and complex technologies are commonplace. These help, but we live in a dangerous world.
In the Old Testament, sheep lived in a dangerous world. Their lives were threatened by wild animals. Used like a club, the shepherd's rod was a weapon to protect his sheep. The staff, the slender stick with a crook at one end, is perfect for guiding and rescuing wayward sheep. The young King David knew the power of the rod and staff. He also knew his powerful Lord.
Our heavenly Father's rod and staff are present in His Word. Our daily threats aren't just physical ones. We are bombarded with invisible threats to our faith through Satan and the temptations of this world.
While we trust our police force to protect our streets, we can also with full confidence trust the Lord to protect our souls. His Word is a powerful force. It is eternal. It will never wane or fail.
His Word is the way He communicates with us. It makes us wise unto salvation in Jesus. This divine "rod and staff" instructs us as to what is right and wrong. His Word is the light on our path. His Word assures us of our full pardon in Jesus, as we repent of our sins committed in thought, desire, words, and deeds.
Trust His Word, dear friends. It is life to our bones. May He keep us safe until He calls us home to heaven.
-Dale
