"Even 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" Psalm 23:4
The whole "rod & staff" thing has always left me twisting in the wind. I get what the "rod" does. We will call the rod PROTECTION. When the sheep are threatened by a predictor, the alert shepherd grabs his bat and charges in swinging.
However, the "staff" is for sheep.
When the shepherd wants to move the sheep, he uses the staff to poke and prod, to move the sheep out of their comfort zone. Some sheep need a more assertive prod than others. And some sheep just never seem to learn and the shepherd can anticipate which hammerheaded sheep will give him grief.
Since the shepherd knows the sheep better than anyone, he is well aware of how much prodding each sheep will require. In human terms, God uses circumstances, events, and people to prod us out of our comfort zone. If we do what we have always done, we will always get what we have always gotten. So God nudges us out of our comfort zone and into the light of His perfect plan for our life.
What determines how you respond to God's nudges, is determined by what you believe. If you believe God is good and always has your best interest at heart, then you take a leap of faith. If you doubt that God is good, then you rebel and impose your will. This requires God to use the Tazer end of His staff to get your attention.
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lse heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son". Hebrews 12:5-6
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