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STICKS OF LOVE

“…Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me,” Psalm 23:4 ESV. These simple words of a shepherd spoken to his Shepherd Above reveal the “rod and staff” as sticks of love. Our Heavenly Shepherd deals lovingly with our many weaknesses, treating us as lambs requiring His discipline, yet bearing no grudges against our many failings. Though I stray from the boundaries of His Will, He never stops searching for his wandering lamb. When I fall onto perilous ledges, He finds and lifts me to safety with the hook of His staff instead of abandoning me as I deserve. When I scamper away from His Presence, He never turns away in disgust; instead, He chases me down. His rod of discipline is always used justly and delivered in perfect love. O Lord My Great Shepherd and Keeper, hallowed be Your Name! Deliver me from earthly obsessions and draw me near to Your side. 

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