The Staff

When my husband goes for walks out by the pond, he always grabs one of his rods, or as he calls them, his walking sticks. It makes him look like a mountain man to me, rugged, strong, surefooted, outdoorsy kind of guy, someone I like to follow. My mountain man of a husband has always taken care of me and loved me through thick and thin, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Just like my Lord and Savior. Psalm 100:3 says,

“We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.” He is the great shepherd who goes ahead of me and points the way, showing me lessons I might not have learned if I did not follow Him and His staff.

The shepherd’s rod was used to protect the sheep from other animals. The meaning of staff is something to lean on, to trust, to support. So you could say His rod protects us, and His staff is something we can lean on, trust in, and be supported by. I can trust His leading. Even if sometimes the paths are rocky and there are holes here and there, just like the paths to the pond.

If I follow my Savior’s leading, I know I’ll be fine at the end. He doesn’t promise a smooth path through life but He does promise to be there with us; He will either go before us, with us by our side, or carry us when we feel we can go no more.

Not all of my paths have been smooth, but He has been there guiding me all along. I can look back on my life and see how He has protected me. He has provided for me. He has comforted me, carried me, and has helped me become stronger.

Although pretty close, my husband is not perfect, yet I can’t help but smile as I see him walking in front of me with his staff and compare how he is like my Heavenly Shepherd; strong, loving, caring, taking the lead and protecting me. This week we will celebrate 32 years of marriage. That's a lot of steps we've taken together. I pray we have many more.

 

Thank you Lord, for being my Great Shepherd and for giving me an earthly one as well.

 

 

“Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Psalm 23:4


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