David found reassurance in the rod and staff of the Lord. A rod is a living branch, a scion or branch for grafting, and a stock; and is necessary for writing, fighting, ruling as a sceptre, for walking or for exercising authority. David himself had used the rod in shaping up to Goliath; shepherding his flock; he recorded his psalms with a rod; he had wielded his sceptre as king. The Lord's rod strengthened him,

The rod defines a father's discipline. 'He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly.' (Proverbs 13:24) As fathers, we select a branch of a living tree, a symbol of our Lord Jesus, the Tree of life. The prayerful walk to the tree, the breaking off of a branch, which will smart, but not bruise or break bones: never to be administered in anger, lest we harm our beloved children.
A father's open arms and embrace restore the sweet oneness of father and child.

In Psalm 110:2, 'The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of your enemies.' Here the 'rod' speaks of the invincible ruling of the Lord Jesus, triumphant over his enemies and over death, and honoured at the Father's right hand. Our Lord wields the rod of authority with all enemies crushed by HIM. Hence David's song of joy that the rod encouraged him. It should us, also.

Jacob's final words to his children in Genesis 49:10,' speak of the royal rod. 'The sceptre shall not depart from Judah nor the law-giver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes (the Lord Jesus Christ is revealed in this first book of the bible): and to Him shall be the obedience of the people.' Our Lord Jesus descended in His flesh from the line of Judah (indeed as the Lion of Judah ) , and will reign for a thousand years before resuming His heavenly reign for ever and ever. He held the sceptre with an inflexible grasp. He rules in our lives. In yours? Every area?

The 'staff' speaks of the Lord's sustenance and support which had warmed David's heart. In Judges, Gideon prepared a sacrifice, laid them on the rock, and poured out the broth. Then the Angel of the Lord put out the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire rose out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. And the Angel of the Lord departed out of his sight. (6:21) The Angel of the Lord was our beloved Lord Jesus, in His preincarnate form; showing Gideon's staff as a wonder-working support.

The staff can only be carried with authority by God's special servant. Elisha longed to show his heavenly power in raising the Shunammite woman's child to life, so he entrusted his staff to Gehazi, his servant. Yes, he ran to the child, and laid the staff on the face of the dead child, No result. When Elisha came, he closed the door and prayed to His Lord. 'He went up and lay on the child; and put his mouth on his mouth; his eyes on his eyes, his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself on the child, and a miracle followed, as 'The flesh of the child became warm.' God honoured the faith of his beloved servant. Gehazi had no right nor authority to use the staff in resurrection ministry. Don't attempt to exercise the staff of another, who had been commissioned of the Lord, as Elisha had been.

In Zechariah 8:4, the staff symbolised the support of the ageing and security for the children playing in the streets of Jerusalem. 'We have a dear son playing in those heavenly boulevards. 'The Lord will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, the city of truth, the Mountain of the Lord of hosts, the Holy Mountain, Old men and women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with a staff in his hand, because of great age.' My dear wife and I, with hip replacements, walk with a staff, supporting us. The Lord will perfectly support us in His heaven.

'Your rod and staff comfort me' affirmed King David. They both comfort and console. John writes of the coming of the Holy Spirit in14:16, 'I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever.' The marvellous Holy Spirit enriches our lives and fortifies us even as the rod and staff of the Good Shepherd comforted David. While we see no visible rod or staff, yet are increasingly aware of the Spirit of God enriching our maturing understanding.

Paul showed how God's word is our staff. 'For whatsoever things were written beforehand were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. (Romans 15:4) God's entire word, the Holy bible, is our reservoir of comfort and consolation. Let's draw deeply from this treasure.

Our great God is our supporting staff in suffering, as Paul revealed in 2 Corinthians 1:4. 'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort., who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted of God.' 'Comfort ' appears four times in this glorious promise, showing this realistic support. Have you experienced Christ's all-sufficiency?

In Paul's second letter to Timothy, he continued to applaud the Lord, 'He stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be fully preached through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear.' (4:17) This word parallels David's promise, 'I will fear no evil; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.' God give us this deep trust in our great God, and determination to spread the good news, so that the non-Christian nations shall hear the precious word.

Surprisingly, Paul used the picture of David wrestling (presumably wielding his staff) with the lion that attempted to seize the lambs. He wrote, 'And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion'. Paul humbly showed that he, the great expositor of the Word, was God's little lamb, delivered from the fangs of the lion.
The suffering, persecuted believers echo Paul's thanksgiving of deliverance.

THANK YOU, GREAT SHEPHERD. YOUR ROD AND STAFF COMFORT US.