We hear the 23rd Psalm at funerals a lot. These are times of mourning when we find we are in need of encouragement. The darkness surrounds us, but we who know Jesus have comfort in knowing that Lord Jesus is right beside us during these times, even when we may not readily feel Him.

In the eastern culture there was a lot of pride in being a good shepherd. The shepherds were expected to protect the sheep at all cost. In Psalm 23:4, some historians have noted that the phrase, “valley of the shadow of death”, was a reference to a time at dusk where wild animals and thieves were hiding in the shadows of the night to steal the sheep away. This was the most dangerous time of day for the shepherd and his sheep. This descriptive phrase can further represent any season of scarcity, pain, or darkness. David makes it very clear in his psalm that we will all walk through these hard times by saying “even though” as opposed to “if.”

The rod and the staff mentioned here were necessary for the shepherd to care for the sheep. The rod was a short club or stick, sometimes fashioned with nails sticking out of the end of it that would be used to fight off anything or anyone who came against the flock. The staff was longer and thinner and had a hook or crook at the end. According to scholars, the staff had many uses. It was used to gently nudge and direct the sheep in the way they should go, and the hook was useful for pulling sheep from dangerous situations. There are also sources that explain the staff was used at times to tap out a steady beat on the rocks so the sheep would hear the tapping and know the direction to follow to find safety with the shepherd.

Because the shepherd and sheep travelled steep cliffs and narrow trails, these two tools were extremely beneficial in maintaining safety for the sheep. When it was dark out and the sheep could not see, they still could feel the gentle guidance of the staff or hear it tapping on the rocks and would follow that sound to safety. The tapping was a reassurance for the sheep as they knew their shepherd was close by.
This gentle tapping is not unlike the passage in 1 Kings 19:11-14 where Elijah was waiting to hear from the Lord, and he experienced a powerful wind, an earthquake, and a fire, but the Lord did not speak in any of those acts. Then, Elijah heard a gentle whisper—this was the Lord.

We get so busy sometimes that we are not able to hear the tapping of the staff or the gentle whisper of the Lord asking us to listen to Him. We sometimes expect these grand and showy productions to be our Savior. Don’t get me wrong, He can, and does at times, show up that way. But we can’t get so caught up in the quick tempo and noise of this world that we miss the gentle nudges of our kind Savior. He is ready to comfort us if we only listen to the small and subtle tap. In this new year, as we work to have a fresh start and meet new goals, let’s take a minute to listen to the quiet call that can only come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.