Protect/Correct/Direct

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”  Psalms 23:4

The Little Rod. I remember it very vividly. My uncle and aunt created it and actually sold it in their church’s bookstore. I can imagine that this didn’t make my cousins, me or my siblings very popular among our peers in children’s church. You see, the Little Rod was a paddle. It was named using our surname (Little) and the verse about the “rod of correction” (Prov. 22:15). The paddle even had the name etched into the wood. That’s pretty scary stuff for elementary-aged kids. And, needless to say, the mere existence of the Little Rod kept our attitudes and behaviors in check.

The above scripture reminds me of my experiences with the Little Rod. Taken from the powerful Psalm 23, this scripture reveals the comfort that the author, David, receives from the rod and staff of God. The entire psalm illustrates our relationship with God as His being our Shepherd and our being His sheep. Literal shepherds used a rod and staff for protection, correction and direction of the sheep. They could use the short, club-like rod to ward off predators from the flock. And they could use the long staff to redirect sheep who may be straying. The staff even had a hooked end which the shepherd could use to lift the head of the sheep when they were wandering off because they were looking down. The Father does all of this for His children. He protects us from harm, corrects us when we’re wrong, and lifts our heads to show us the way. While I never really enjoyed the Little Rod, I grew to understand that it served a greater purpose in molding me into who I am today. And I am eternally grateful that God does the same with His rod and staff.