Daily Devotions
September 20th, 2013 by Pastor SolleyPs 23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
The sheep under the care of the good shepherd fear no evil. (Verse 4) Why? Because the rod and the staff of the shepherd bring great comfort to the sheep. The staff of the shepherd was long with a curve or hook at the end and a skillful shepherd could use it to direct the sheep in which way they should go, to pull the sheep from water or from brush they had become tangled in, he could even use it to set sheep who had fallen upon their feet again. The staff in the hand of the shepherd was a comforting thing for the sheep. The rod was much shorter. It was made from a small tree by digging the tree up and cutting it off about 18 inches above the bulb at the roots with the root bulb still attached. It was then dried until it became very hard, had a piece of leather attached to the handle that the shepherd could wrap around his wrist or use it to tie to his belt. This was a weapon and was most likely what David used to kill both the lion and bear that attacked the flock when he was caring for his fathers sheep. You might wonder how this could be used as a weapon but I have made one and it is a very dangerous thing if put into the hands of a skilled shepherd. Our shepherd is skilled in bout guiding and protecting His flock. Yes we can even walk through the valley of the shadow of death and fear no evil as long as we are under the care of the good shepherd.