Our Shepherd

By: Lisa Boisvert

Friday, August 29, 2025

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 (NASB)

Have you ever given serious thought to why the bible calls Jesus our shepherd? In our modern world, the traditional image of a shepherd seems quaint. But in biblical times, society was based around animals and agriculture, so everyone understood the role of a shepherd. We might not, so let's examine a shepherd's role in that era.

One of the shepherd's main roles was protecting the sheep from harm. His two main tools were his rod and his staff. The rod was a short, blunt club that was used to fight any animal attempting to harm the sheep. The rod could also be used for discipline. When we see the word rod used in scripture, it represents the authority and discipline our shepherd (Jesus) provides.

Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you. Deuteronomy 8:5

The shepherd's other main tool was his staff. The staff was much longer than the rod, and it was usually curved on the top. A shepherd would use that curve like a hook to guide the sheep or pull them away from danger. Both tools were equally important, but each one had a different purpose. The rod was mostly used for protection; the staff was mostly used for guidance. Our shepherd, Jesus, also uses different tools for different circumstances.

If sheep could talk, they probably wouldn't agree with every method used by their shepherd. For example, being pulled away from danger by the hook of a staff might be unpleasant. But sheep are unaware of many dangers. Sheep like to wander, and they can get too close to the edge of a cliff. When they are blissfully unaware of danger, someone must step in to protect them. Sheep get frightened when their shepherd chases off predators with a rod, and they probably don't enjoy the rod's discipline. Whether the sheep agreed with the shepherd's methods or not, everything being done was for their benefit.

If you are a Christ-follower, Jesus is your shepherd! He is always looking out for you, and He is constantly protecting you from evil. Jesus must occasionally protect us from ourselves, removing us from dangers we aren't aware of. As a member of His flock, you can rest easy. Trust Him! Your Shepherd is doing everything for your benefit!