Thy Rod Protects Me Psalms 23:4

Thy Rod and Thy Staff they protect me.



Shepherds carried a staff that they used to protect themselves as well as their sheep. This staff was carefully chosen and selected so that the shepherd would get the most out the staff. The shepherd would use the staff to "hook" his sheep around the neck if they started to get away from the fold. He could also hook to sheep to pull them out of harms way. There were times when the shepherd would use the staff as a spear, launching it against oncoming danger. The staff provided the shepherd with a source of stability, as he would use it to lean on and rest. It also provided the shepherd with a means to balance himself as he would have to cross dangerous crevices.

Not only did the shepherd use the staff for protection, he used the staff to discipline his sheep as well. If an obstinate sheep started to get out of line, the shepherd would pop the sheep on the head to get its attention. In addition to getting the attention of the sheep, the shepherd would use the staff to fluff the wool to see below the wool and examine the sheep's skin. Sometimes, the wool would hide sores below on the skin, which could go undetected until the sore became a danger to the animal's health. The staff represented protection for the sheep. They felt secure when the shepherd and his staff were present.

Moses' staff is perhaps the most famous of all staff's. It was this staff that God used to get Pharaoh's attention as well as Moses'. It was the staff raised over the Red Sea that caused the waters to part. It was this same rod that God told Joshua to touch the Jordan River that caused the waters to once again part so that the children of Israel could pass from the wilderness into the Promised Land. The Staff represents the presence and the power of God. It represents God's hand of protection for the child of God. There is nowhere that we can go that His rod and His staff are not present. There is no danger that we will ever face that His powerful hand of protection will not sustain us and provide protection for us.

It does not matter what we face in this life, there is no panic in heaven, only a plan! That plan can be seen in His staff of protection for any situation or circumstance that we may find ourselves in. Remember something else. When we stray away from the fold, it is His staff that will pull us back to safety! The crook at the end of the staff was so designed to reach down and hook the sheep to pull it to safety. We are safe and secure because of His rod and staff that protect us from everything that this world can throw at us!