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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 Heavenly Father Above reveal the shepherd’s simple tools: A rod and a staff; 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 distractions and draw me near to Your side. 

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