“… your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
Reflective Thought
Today’s verse is the remainder of yesterday’s, the one about walking through dark valleys. Along those shadowy stretches, we desperately need God’s nearness, and we also need his comfort.
By now we’ve learned a few things about sheep: they’re anxious over many things, easily distracted, and not always aware. They will wander, often landing them in precarious situations at risk of harm or death.
Other than their capacity to run and kick, sheep are defenseless. Predators abound within darkness, waiting for those wandering, anxious, defenseless sheep to slip beyond the shadows. For these reasons, sheep need the comfort of their shepherd. We’re not so unlike sheep, are we?
Simply put, we live in a world in which people do evil things. Consequently, we suffer in many ways: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. To be human is to suffer. To be human is to need comfort.
God longs to provide comfort to us. He does this in several ways through the example of Jesus.
His earthly life was an ongoing experience of suffering, culminating at the cross. Jesus suffered more than any other human so that, through him, we would be spared eternal suffering (Isaiah 53:3, 5; 1 Peter 2:24).
He offers comfort through the promises found throughout his Word (Psalm 34:18; Hebrews 4:15–16).
The comfort of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26). He dwells within us and ministers directly to our deepest places of pain.
The communion of believers who support and surround us in our sufferings (2 Corinthians 1:3–7).
One final thought: the Good Shepherd never hesitates to run into the darkness to rescue and comfort his wandering and wounded sheep.
Questions to Ponder
What are the anxieties and distractions that cause you to wander from the Shepherd’s comforting presence?
How has suffering either helped or hurt your understanding of who God is?
Prayer
Good Shepherd, let me experience your comfort in my suffering.
