Catch snippet: Though we pass through a place of distress, we should not be distressed. Though we seem to pass through some calamity, we should not fear calamity. We should fear nothing. For he is with us. And that’s all that matters. If He is with us, we are safe. How is He with us? Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake. There’s a right path; there’s a wrong path. His paths are the paths of righteousness. They lead to His desired intention for us and our lives.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil.
Though we pass through a narrow gorge – a difficult place, the darkest valley, a place of distress and calamity – though we walk through such things in our journey, we will fear no evil. We should fear no evil! Though we pass through a place of distress, we should not be distressed. Though we seem to pass through some calamity, we should not fear calamity. We should fear nothing. For He is with us. And that’s all that matters. If He is with us, we are safe. How is He with us? Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
He gives us His rod; His scepter, His Shepherd’s club, His authority and His lineage literally as a branch; the branch of David. That is His rod.
And His staff – His support. The support that He provided for us. If you’re sure that God’s lineage is what you’re working according to, if you’re sure that you are with the Shepherd, if you’re sure that He has His authority exercised over you and through you, the authority you have been given by Him, with this you are to fear no evil. If you do not understand that He’s given us His rod, a scepter – authority, then we will suffer unnecessary evil because we are not it. This is different from His authority exercised on our behalf. But there is His authority which He has given us to trample upon snakes and scorpions and over all the work of the enemy. This balance must be exercised in our life. If we only wait for Him to exercise only His authority, many times you will suffer unnecessarily. Like Moses, He told Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me?” This was when they had behind them the Egyptians and before them was the read sea. He clearly did not respond the way Moses expected. The Lord said to Moses in verse 15 and 16 of Exodus 14:
Then the Lord said to Moses, “why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and strength out your hand to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground”.
Verse 21 says, “then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night, the Lord drove the sea back with a strong East wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left”.
When the Egyptians followed them, they had no authority to divide the sea and so drowned.
There’s an authority the Lord has given those whom He shepherds. If the Lord is your Shepherd, the one who has led you to where you are, and you happen to pass through a time of distress or calamity, remember to use your authority; your staff, your scepter. Remember to apply to your lineage, your ‘Branch’ of the family of is the Divine One. But also, use the support He provides for you. As you step out with these two things, and fight according to the will of God, you will be comforted. This is how God will console you through those times. We must arise and act with the authority He gives us. If we do not, we will mourn and be unnecessarily afflicted in situations where He has given us victory. This is how and what we must learn. This is the Staff of the Lord. May we partake in everything God has made available for us through Christ Jesus. May we learn to walk as branch members; branches of the vine that is the Lord Jesus. May we not succumb to everything the enemy attempts to throw at us. In the Name of Jesus.