Day 32: Lead by the Shepherd's Staff..
In yesterday’s blog we discussed the shepherd’s rod and its value to the safety and welfare of the sheep. We considered how God shows us how He uses His rod to assist us, not harm us. If the rod provides for the sheep through power, authority, discipline, and defense, then the staff provides protection through gentle encouragement and comfort.
Usually the staff is a long, slender stick with a hook on one end. Even the shepherd is comforted by the staff, as he uses it to lean on for support and strength. Phillip Keller (author of A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23) reports that one of the most beautiful scenes in the life of a shepherd is when they pick up newborn lambs with the staff to give the lamb to her mother. If the shepherd touches the lamb, there is a risk that the mother will reject the baby because of the odor of the shepherd’s hand. Shy or timid sheep in need of inspection are often drawn to the shepherd by the staff. Most often, the shepherd guides the sheep gently onto a new path, through a treacherous route, or through a narrow gate with his staff. A gentle pressure from the long, slender stick applied to the side of the sheep is usually enough to get them on the right track.
Keller illustrates this principle in his book:
“Being stubborn creatures sheep often get into the most ridiculous and preposterous dilemmas. I have seen my own sheep, greedy for one more mouthful of green grass, climb down steep cliffs where they slipped and fell into the sea. Only my long shepherd’s staff could lift them out of the water back onto solid ground again. One winter day I spent several hours rescuing a ewe that had done this very thing several times before. Her stubbornness was her undoing” (p. 102-103).
Have you ever wondered why, in the midst of a situation, it seems as if you are snatched out of it for no apparent reason? I had a great friend who lost a job she loved. She felt it was snatched out from under her, but she realized a few months later that if she had stayed in that job it would have been detrimental to her well-being. What seemed like cruel fate turned out to be the staff of God.
Faithful is he who is calling you [to himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keep you].
1 Thessalonians 5:15 (Amplified version)
It is my prayer that each of us will come to experience an abundance of comfort—even in the midst of fearful situations—because we appreciate the bigness, the mercy, and the presence of our Good Shepherd. Whether by rod or staff, may we recognize the hand of God in our lives, and trust its intentions for good, not for evil.
