Kept!

Kept!

Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 AMPC 

Background:

Blessings are the natural outcomes of a healthy relationship with the giver. Can God release His full blessings to someone who does not recognize or submit to His authority and leadership? Yes, there are favours that all men on earth enjoy, but there are those extras that accrue to those who are fully committed to God; who walk with Him on a daily basis. They do not pretend to have it all figured out, but they are content relying on the supply of the grace of God upon their lives. They will make mistakes sometimes, but they know the shepherd well enough to know who He is, what He is, where He is and what he wants them to do and be, and they will be quick to respond and return. That is the context of the verse above. I cannot make such pronouncements as the one in the verse above if I do not know the One who can make it possible, and that is the Shepherd Himself. 

Focus:

The whole chapter starts with the introduction of the Shepherd, and He is the Lord. No other person can fill that role. The Shepherd knows his role, as well as all He is mandated to care for. He will not shirk his responsibilities, and He can handle whatever comes my way, as long as I remain dependent on Him. This is where it gets tough: being led by God does not mean that God will not lead me through dangerous waters, but His assurance is that His presence is my greatest blessing. If He is with me, no storm, wind, rain or calamity can be so strong that it will snatch me away from God's everlasting arms. Even when the natural end of my path is death, God knows how to keep me from evil and to preserve my life in line with His purpose and will. This is why knowing God personally is the best gift I could ever have. Do I know this Shepherd personally? Does He know me as His own?

Conclusion:

He has his tools to bring me into His perfect will, and to preserve me there. Two of them are called His rod and staff. For the shepherd of that time, these tools are critical for the protection and guidance of the sheep. The rod and staff would bring the sheep in line with the direction the shepherd wanted them to go, as well as correcting any sheep that was going astray. The rod and the staff would provide comfort to the sheep, letting the sheep know it was precious to the shepherd. If I am protected and guided, what more could I want? What better gifts are there apart from an assurance that no matter what comes, they have to go through the shepherd before they can get to me? No matter how old I am, He does not leave me to cater for myself. His provisions for life are limitless, and no demand on earth can exhaust the resources of heaven. That is a promise I can hold on to to the end of time. What could be greater? God's time of favour is here.