16. The Security of His Protection "Thy rod and Thy staff" (23:4e)

Psalm 23:4e

A rod is used for correcting the sheep. The same word is used in Proverbs 22:15 “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.”

The rod is also used for counting the sheep, as in Lev. 27:32, “whatever passes under the rod, a tenth shall be holy to the Lord.” The shepherd would count his sheep not just for making sure that he had them all but also so that he would also give back to the Lord a tenth, or that which was holy to God. In ministry we count people because people count. Numbers are important to the Lord because each number represents a person. The rod also reminds me to count whatever the Lord has entrusted to me, whether it is time, money, abilities and other resources, and wants us to count it as holy to the Lord.

The rod is used for commanding the sheep. The word for rod is also translated as scepter ten times. For instance, Ps. 45:6 says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.” The rod of God shows the command of the Lord which is sovereign. When you need some comfort and security from the Shepherd, look to His sovereign scepter and bow in prayer but also bow in obedience. God is in charge and is sovereign.

A staff is used for the protection of the sheep. Sheep are vulnerable to prey and when David went to fight Goliath, he remembered that he used his staff to fight off enemies of his sheep. “But David said to Saul, ‘Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.” Later, David not only took his sling and some stones to fight Goliath but 1 Samuel 17:40 says, “he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had.”

The staff was also used to represent the very presence of the owner. Elisha gave his staff to Gehazi, saying, “Take my staff in your hand, and be on your way...Lay my staff on the face of the child.” In so doing, it was a representation of the prophet's presence. In the New Testament, God's presence with us is called the Comforter. The Holy Spirit is more than a representation, the Comforter is the actual and very presence of God within us.

Tomorrow, we will see more of how the rod and staff comfort, correct and protect us.

“Dear Lord, help me gain comfort even in your correction and protection of me. Thank you for the presence of Your Holy Spirit in me.  Amen.”

15. The Staying of the Savior: "For Thou Art With Me" (23:4d)

Psalm 23:4d

        I love how this part of the psalm turns personal. Not only has the writer been saying me rather than us, now he no longer speaks about the Shepherd in the third person but turns it to a direct address. He says "You are with me."

        The Shepherd does not lead us where He Himself has never trod. No, He leads us on paths first trailed by the Son of God. No temptation has He not faced, no sorrow has He not shared, no joy nor triumph has He not seen, no loss has He not experienced. He has been there.

        Psalms 118:6 says, "The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?" But from this side of the cross, it is even more than that. No longer is the Shepherd merely by my side, and with me. Jesus said it is better that He went away so that the Comforter, the Holy Spirit would come and live within me.

        Could it get any better? Well, actually yes. There are the assurances of God’s Holy Presence not on being in me, but also staying with me.

        God’s WORD--1 John 5:13--These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”

        God’s WILL--John 1:12-13 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Eph. 1:5 “having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”

         God’s WORK-- Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
John 10: 28 “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.”

         God’s WITNESS of the Holy Spirit--Romans 8:15-17 “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

John 14:16-17 “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever -- the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

“Thank you, my Shepherd, for not only being with me but in me forever. Amen.”

14. The Separation from Fear: "I will fear no evil" (23:4c)

Psalm 23:4c

¹ 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:

    I like what Oswald Chambers said, “When you fear God, you fear nothing else. When you don’t fear God, you fear everything else.”

    The name I go by literally means fear, “timos,” the Greek word from which we get words such as timidity or intimidation. But my full name, Timothy, means fear of God, with the latter part coming from the word “theos.” Without God, I am simply afraid. Just like my full name, today’s and tomorrow’s devotional are intrinsically related--fear and the presence of God.

    The basis for our ability to not be afraid is the presence of God, and yet in the first instance of fear, the reaction was to hide from God. “I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself” (Gen. 3:10). Adam was afraid not because he was naked but because he realized he was naked. And his solution was to hide from God, obviously out of shame because of his sin.

    Standing without pretense, or “naked”, before God is the only solution to our fear. Yes, we have sinned, and yes that leaves us exposed, but we should run toward God’s presence in those times, not from Him.

    Franklin Roosevelt said fear itself is the only thing we have to fear, but I disagree. The Bible calls us not to be afraid of sudden fear (Prov. 3:25). The quote from Corrie Ten Boom in the picture today reminds us to trust the engineer, the shepherd, when things get fearful. She also said, “If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. If you look at God you’ll be at rest.”

    Are you looking too much at our world? Are you looking too much within yourself? We cannot help looking a little bit at “fightings and fears, within and without,” but we cannot look to God too much. And the closer we draw to Him, the smaller our fears become.

    The song, “Just as I Am” is known by many, but few know that it was originally published in “The Invalid’s Hymnbook.” Written by Charlotte Elliott, who for most of her life was in such poor health physically that she felt utterly useless to the world and to God’s work. She saw others doing great things for God but she had been physically confined to a sofa in her living room at for much of her 45 years in Brighton, England. Distressed and depressed, she penned her heart out to God, writing these words to express her limitations…and the sufficiency of a Shepherd who became a Lamb of God.  

Just as I am - without one plea,

But that Thy blood was shed for me,And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,

- O Lamb of God, I come!

Just as I am - and waiting not

To rid my soul of one dark blot,

To Thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,

Just as I am - though toss’d about

With many a conflict, many a doubt,

Fightings and fears within, without, 

Just as I am - poor, wretched, blind;

Sight, riches, healing of the mind,

Yea, all I need, in Thee to find,

Just as I am - Thou wilt receive,Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;

Because Thy promise I believe,

Just as I am - Thy love unknown

Has broken every barrier down;

Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,

Just as I am - of that free love

The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,

Here for a season, then above,

- O Lamb of God, I come!

13. The Shadowy Rendezvous with Death "Of The Shadow of Death" (23:4b)

Psalm 23:4b

In Israel there is an actual valley called the shadow of death. Pastor Adrian Rogers description continues, "Even in high noon, it’s always full of shadows.  And there are caves there, and shadowy places there. And in Bible times there were bears there, and hyenas there, and leopards there, and there were robbers, and there were steep places where sheep might fall and it was a frightening place with grotesque shadows on the canyon walls.  And the shepherds had named it the valley of the shadow of death."

Death. There is a singular word for what we use four words to say “the shadow of death.” It is used elsewhere than besides the 23^rd Psalm (Job 24:17; Ps. 44:19, 107:10, 14; Jer. 2:6, and a dozen other places) and we all must go through the “death-Shadow.” Ever since the fall in the garden of Eden, humanity has had a rendezvous with death.

Something about death seems unnatural. We grieve at death and avoid thinking of death, even though 100 percent of all people will die. Adam was told that he would die on the day that he ate the forbidden fruit, and in a spiritual sense we all were born spiritually dead. One reason death is so hard to accept may be because we are made in the image of the immortal God and even the Bible says that God placed eternity on our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). 

Missionary and Writer of the late 20th Century Elisabeth Elliot went through the deaths of two husbands. Also she experienced the sudden deaths of dear friends when her first husband was martyred in Ecuador. Her first husband's death was sudden, unexpected and caused by men. The second husband’s death was slow, anticipated and caused by cancer. Yet both were almost unbearable. She spoke how Psalm 23 comforted her and asked if we all must go through this dark valley, would you rather go through it alone, or with a shepherd who knows every nook and cranny of the shadow of death? She chose to walk through it with the Shepherd.

Shadow.  Shadows require light. Jesus is the light of the world and while one day He will dispel the shadow completely in eternity, until then we can live in the comfort that the shadow of death implies that His light is simply obscured and not obliterated.

Shadows have no substance. Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse said that after his wife died, he was looking for words to comfort his four children on the way home from the funeral. Suddenly a truck passed by and they were covered by the shadow of the truck. “Children, would you rather be run over by a truck or by its shadow?” They replied the shadow, of course. He explained that 2,000 years ago, the truck of death ran over the Lord Jesus in order that only its shadow might run over us. 

The Good Shepherd has delivered us from death. John 10:11 says, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”

For believers, death is actually a release from sin’s curse. While we may pass in and out of the shadow of death in this life, one day, we will eventually face our own death. Hebrews 9:27 says “And as it is appointed to all humanity once to die, and after this comes the judgment.” The inevitability of our physical death and the following judgment should lead us to make plans for our spiritual life.

Jesus defined eternal life as knowing Him and His heavenly Father (John 17:3). Simply put, “No Jesus, no life. Know Jesus, know life.”

“Thank you Lord for giving your life for me so that I could experience eternal life. I know I can go through Death’s Shadow, because I know You. Thank you for being with me. Amen.

12. Sadness through the Valley: "Yea, though I walk through the Valley" (23:4a)

Psalm 23:4a 

                Continuing from yesterday, Adrian Rogers said of the literal valley located in Israel called "The Valley of the Shadow of Death"


“...But over the centuries (a river) has cut a ravine, a chasm, if you will, a little Grand Canyon, in those Judean hills.  It starts up there and it flows down, down, down, down, down 1300 feet below sea level to the Dead Sea.  This ravine, this canyon, is called the valley of the shadow of death because it is so narrow that at the bottom in some places it’s only about 12 feet wide. …”

A shadow can be threatening, even scary, but in all reality
a shadow has no substance. In fact, the very presence of
a shadow means that somewhere, there is a light.

     There is a little word at the beginning of this verse, in the King James is “yea” and no it is not a cheer like “yea, team!” (I believe that would be “Yay, team, anyway.”) The word in Hebrew is equally short, GAM, and is also translated as “moreover” or “even still.”

     So, after my Shepherd has made me, led me, restored me and led me again, even still I will walk through the valley. In other words, this part of the journey is not unexpected to my Shepherd. Yes, He could lead me away from this valley, but just as he was in charge of the other leading, I must trust Him in this dark portion of my journey.

    The word “though” implies that we will ALL walk through dark valleys. Some translations put it as “even though,” signifying that it’s not a matter of if, but when. We could read the first two words as “Even still and even though.” Without the Shepherd I would not make it through. With the Shepherd, I cannot do otherwise than walk through this valley. He will not leave me alone.

     I will not run through this valley, and neither will I stop and give up. I shall walk through this part of my journey. It is a process, a vital part of my growth. All of my paths thus far have led me to trust Him and now my path is a point of what Henry Blackaby would call a “crisis of belief.” Do I really trust my Shepherd?

     I will not run through nor run from this valley. I will not stop, delay nor avoid this valley. I will walk, without pensive or frantic urgency nor complacent denial. I will walk but not alone. I know this valley is not the end of my journey, it is a passage. “This too shall pass.”

     As a sheep on this journey for now 54 years and about 45 years with the Shepherd, I have found my growth and confidence in my Shepherd does not grow in the pastures, nor on the mountains but in the valleys. Growth occurs in the valley, not on the mountaintops.

"Gracious Shepherd, I glorify You because I know that your leading will never take me beyond your grace will keep me. I will walk through any valley as long as I know You are with me." 

Part 3 -- Lessons from the Valley (Psalm 23:4-5)

Psalm 23:4

      There really is an actual valley called “the shadow of death.”  Adrian Rogers said, “There is a valley called the valley of the shadow of death.  If you were to go there you could seek it out.  It starts up between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, up about 2,700 feet above sea level.  And there is a little spring that comes out of the hillside there.  And it starts a little rivulet.  And sometimes it’s full of water and the water cascades down.  Sometimes there’s only a trickle that goes through it.” 

A valley occurs because water cuts through it,

leaving the fertile remnants of the river’s journey to feed the soil.

23 LESSONS FROM THE 23RD PSALM

PART 3

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.

     We have reached the halfway point of the psalm and it takes a turn for the dark. There are words of shadows and death, of evil and fear. Darkness is just as much a part of God’s creation as light. He can use the evil for His glory just as He can the good.

     As we look at part three of the 23^rd psalm, we will see six parts in a single verse, the sheep’s walk, death’s shadow, the sheep’s fearlessness, the Shepherd’s presence, and the soothing and solace of the Shepherd’s protection and correction.

     One of the greatest aspects of being a Christian is how God uses bad, even evil, and turns it around for Gods good and glory. Most clearly in the Old Testament, we see it in the life of Joseph, whose brothers sold him into slavery, and yet God used it for good for deliverance.

     In the New Testament, we see God redeeming the worst event in all of history, the death of the only begotten Son of God, and turning it around for the best event in all of humanity—the resurrection of the one and only Son of Man.

     This truth, and this fourth verse of the 23^rd Psalm, can best be summarized in the often quoted but never fully explored depth of the verse found in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

     As we approach the season of the celebration of the resurrection of the Son of God, let us pledge anew to learn the lessons from the lengthening days of Lent and the shortening hours of darkness. Among those lessons are that light dispels darkness and evil can never extinguish good. While Satan and his power is great, God is greater still.

     And while the last and final enemy is death, “Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” And He will reign until He has put all enemies under His feet.  One day, this corruptible body and world will be clothed with incorruption; someday, this mortal will be fully dress with immortality. Therefore we ask, confidently knowing the answer, “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” ¹  

     And the answer is found in the empty tomb.

“Father, as I enter into this week  of looking at verse 4 of the Shepherd’s Psalm, let me pray as Jesus taught me to pray, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.”

¹ See 1 Cor. 15:20-55

11. The Sake of His Reputation: "for His name's sake" (23:3c)

Psalm 23:3c

Why do parents get so much pride and joy out of their children and now I am finding out of our grandchildren? True I raised them, but they are the ones who are studying, working, succeeding and yes sometimes stumbling (of course that’s when they become Melissa’s kids!). And yet I enjoy their joys and am sad at their sorrows. It’s in the fine print or even the unwritten part of the contract, I suppose, of being a parent (wait! There’s a contract?!).  

So it is and so much more in being a child of God. What I do as a sheep of my Shepherd reflects on His name and His reputation. True, He is holy and nothing I do adds to or takes away from His holiness. But how I obey is just as related to His name’s sake just in the same way that when our children do well, I feel honored and when they are not doing well, I feel burdened. 

That’s why the Shepherd leads me on righteousness paths: For HIS name’s sake. For me, obedience restores my soul, but it is for His glory. “For… Your name’s sake lead me, and guide me” (Psalms 31:3). You see, God seeks a relationship and not a religion, but that relationship means that my actions relate to Him. Jesus used a sheep falling into a pit to show our relationship is more important than obeying God out of legalism.  

Matt. 12:11-12 says, “¹¹Then He said to them, ‘What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? ¹² Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.’ ” 

Religious works doesn’t save us. It is for His name’s sake that He saved us. His forgiveness is His mark on His sheep, signifying we are His. “For Your name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my iniquity for it is great.” (Psalm 25:11 and Psalm 79:9). John wrote his first epistle to tell his friends that we are forgiven for the sake of His great name.  “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven, for His name’s sake.” (1 John 2:12).  

If our salvation is for His name’s sake, what is the purpose of our good works? Also for His name’s sake! “For My name’s sake you have labored and not fainted.” (Revelation 2:3). In fact, just about everything God does, from answering our prayers (2 Chronicles 6:32) to even not forsaking us (1 Samuel 12:22), is for His glory, His reputation.

But watch this: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Do you see what He did there? We are called by His name. We are joint heirs with Christ. When Christ died, He included us in His last will and testament. That’s why we call it the New Testament. His Great Name is our inheritance.

Lord Jesus, lead me so that I may glorify You for Your name’s sake. In the NAME of JESUS CHRIST I pray. Amen

10. The Steps of Righteousness: "He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness" (23:3b)

Psalm 23:3b

¹ The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
² He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
³ He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

Baptist pastor and professor F.B. Meyer referred to Psalm 23 as the psalm of psalms, and that “This psalm speaks in language that the universal heart of man can comprehend. It exercises a spell that can charm away the griefs that bid a bold defiance to philosophy and mirth… It is an oasis in the desert…it is one of the most holy places in the temple of Scripture.” 

The Shepherd leads beside the still waters for my soul’s restoration and by the paths of righteousness are for His Name’s sake.

I am born in sin, walking in paths of unrighteousness. Like sheep, I am prone to wander by my very nature. Isaiah 53:6 says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” 

I am born again to walk in paths of righteousness. The Lord who is my shepherd searched for me and when He found me, He bore me on His shoulders and carried me home. Luke 15:6 says, “And when the shepherd came home, he called together his friends and neighbors, and said them, ‘Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.’” 

A New Path. I am born again to walk on new paths. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6). I am born again by faith to walk by faith, based on God’s word. “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides forever.” (Colossians 2:6 with 1 Peter 1:23). Being born again is not just about a new life, it is also about a new way of life; it is a walk on a new path. It is called “the washing of regeneration” and “the renewal of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).  

As a result of my restored soul, my paths have changed. True sheep put their faith in the Shepherd, placing their trust so deeply that their actions naturally follow what they truly believe. That’s why Jesus said unbelief shown by not following is a sign of not being His sheep. “But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.” (John 10:26).  

A new produce. True sheep follow in the path of the Shepherd. A shepherd who has a wandering sheep may have to break its leg so that it will stay close to the shepherd and to the flock. Adversities bring me closer to the shepherd and also to the right paths. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27). 

Using a different analogy in John 15, Jesus said “I am the true vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away (lifts up); and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” A branch on the ground will not bear fruit and must be taken or lifted up. Even fruit bearing branches must be pruned so to bring forth fruits of righteousness, a new produce. 

A new people. True sheep hear his voice with a tender heart. We are now His people and I am a new person, no longer with a hardened heart but a hearing heart.  “For he is our God; and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart…” (Psalm 95:7-8)

“Dear Lord, make a walk on new paths of righteousness. I’ve been down the other road and I don’t like where it leads. Bear new fruit in me and help me live my new life hearing your voice ringing in my ears. Amen.”