Day 5 – Lost to Focused

“Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4(b)

A key tell-tale of stress in your life is the lack of focus. We try to do a hundred things and once, not giving our full focus and attention to a specific task. We do the same in our spiritual lives too. Trying to look like a good Jesus-girl doing or the religious “have to’s” and forgetting that our main focus should be ON Jesus and not about Jesus.

In the days of the Biblical shepherds, the rod and staff were both symbols of trade and authority. Though they are almost the same and interchangeable, they are different in many ways: both were used to control and protect the flock.

The rod was a shorter, almost club-like weapon used to protect the flock from external dangers like wild animals and poachers. The staff was long and reed-like with a hook at the top. The hook was big enough to hook around the neck of the sheep if it should wander off or may have slipped off a ledge to pull it back up to the path. When we stagger around without focusing on God, we are lost. Our Shepherd is there ready to protect us from danger and to guide us back to the right path. This knowledge is a divine comfort when we follow our Shepherds’ voice.

Prayer: Father, thank You for being our Shepherd and for the comfort that You are looking after this little sheep with your rod of protection and staff of guidance. When I wander Lord – getting stressed with all the things I think I need to do – please guide my focus back to You in comfort. Amen.

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