"A psalm of David: Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing. He has me lie down in grassy pastures, he leads me by quiet water, he restores my inner person. He guides me in right paths for the sake of his own name. Even if I pass through death-dark ravines, I will fear no disaster; for you are with me; your rod and staff reassure me."
Psalm 23:1-4 (CJB)
I have enjoyed reading this very familiar Psalm in the Complete Jewish Bible Version (CJB). It has worded it in a way that has provoked me into seeing this passage in a fresh way. The two works "rod" and "staff" in particular. We find their definition through looking at these two words in Hebrew.
His rod (SEBET) - "authority" and "discipline"
His rod (SEBET) - "authority" and "discipline"
His staff (MISHENA) - "trust" and "support"
It is because our Heavenly Father loves us (with a balanced love) that He shows us both discipline and support/trust. As we come to certain paths in our walk, we can find that they are like a ravine; which is dark as death itself. It is here where we can find ourselves in a position that will push us to find more support on the Word of God, or, the opposite. His word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path... (Ps. 119:105). If we are not tentative to His word and not daily reading and studying it, then we will find, I'm situations like this, that our lamps won't be bright enough for us to even see our feet. We know that keeping our lamps full and lite is important to the Lord because of the parable of the women with the lamps. Half had extra to keep their lamps always full, no matter what. The other half calculated and only had enough, which, in the end, was not enough.
Also, time will push us to consider the heavy load we carry on our backs. Because of the Christmas season still close, it reminds me of the scene in a Christmas Carol. Jack Marley comes, in ghost form, to see his business partner, Ebenezer Scrooge. He shows him the chains he formed in life. And then, consider Christian, in Pilgrims Progress, with his heavy burden on our back. Many people are walking with both chains and burdens. We cannot help them if we too have these chains and burdens on us. On the ravines, we are brought to a point of desperation; where we cry out to God to help us to unload what is not ours to carry and what are chain(s) of bondage. Both, Scrooge and Christian experienced a revealing of their life and we both full of desperation to have a change in the course of their life. Desperation is not to doubt if God can/will help us; but, it is to know that we are useless and have to TOTALLY rely on Him because He is the ONLY One who can help us so we can make it to the end of that path.
How is this relevant to our day and age? Well, we are living in a time where everywhere we go, it will spiritually be a death-dark place. We must have the discipline worked in our lives, and, we must already have the trust and support placed only upon Christ. We will NOT survive if we continue to live life careless and full of weaknesses and bondage's. Christ entrusts more to those He can trust and these people are ones who allow the rod (discipline) and the staff (trust, support) to reassure them in their walk.
For the final thought we must look at Zechariah 4:6, which says, "It's not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirits, says the Lord." We become more free as we practice speaking in tongues daily. We will find a strength we did not know we had within us, a strength to be changed and to lead. When we lack our own words to say, the Holy Spirit can utter words to our Lord on our behalf.
Read His Word to learn and know His ways and path, be set free by His staff that disciplines us, and speak in tongues to receive the power that is needed for each new day!
Be blessed!
