SHEPHERD'S STAFF

      I have a staff in my office that I bought several years ago at a Jewish Festival. It has a lion's head on the top and for a long time it just sat in my office.  One Sunday morning, when I was in charge of the service, I was deeply offended by something that happened before service. I had to get up and preach.  I knew that I could not go out and preach if I didn't let this go and have a clear conscience before God.  I had about a half hour before service was to begin to talk to God about what I was feeling.  I saw that staff sitting there and I grabbed it and began to write the names of God on it.  All the names of who God was for me.  It brought me comfort and reminded me of how good He was to me, of how much He loved me.  That staff still sits in my office and reminds me of who God is for me.

Recently I heard that a shepherd's staff was indeed a place where a shepherd would record his history with God.  In fact, the shepherd David, carried a staff.  Imagine for a moment that on his staff he carved a lion and a bear, to remind him of when God helped him to protect the sheep by dealing with a lion and a bear.  He carved in there of the times he worshipped the Lord, alone in the fields with the sheep.  He shared his psalms, his history with God by carving it all in his staff.  Now follow that same shepherd boy into the Valley of Elah, where the Israelites were camped.  A giant taunted them day in and day out to come out and fight him. (1 Samuel 17)  This young man arrives on the scene with food for his brothers, carrying his staff.  How do I know this?

When Saul agreed to let David fight Goliath, it says in verse 40 that "he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of shepherd's bag and , with sling in his hand, approached the Philistine".  David took his history with him into the battle.  The history of all the times that God had been faithful and helped him to overcome.  All the times he had victory because of the God he loved and served.  Yes, he flung the stone with his sling, but he also carried his staff into the battle.

You and I carry the history of who God has been, is and will be with us everyday.  That is why it is so important for us to record our history with God too.  To remember all the times He carried us through.  So when the tough times comes, we have a history recorded of who God has been and will be again for us.

Psalm 23:4 tells us, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."  The staff of the Lord continually reveals my God.  Just as I sit here right now and look at the staff in my office, I am reminded of ALL the times He has walked with me and enabled me to have victory.  Take the time to look at your history with God and remember His faithfulness and miracles in your life.  What He has done once, He will do again and again!  Thank you Father!

What history do you have with God?