psalm 23:4

"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."

I was brought up in a household where the cane had free reign. You could say my parents fervently adhered to Proverbs 23:13 "Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die." So this portion of Psalm 23 had always baffled me. How can an instrument of pain and torture comfort me? In any case, it should strike fear in me! haha! Anyway, a sermon my pastor preached one Sunday morning got me curious and I decided to do a little study of it...and look what was revealed:

Rod - (Shebet in Hebrew) which can also mean sceptre, a mark of authority.

Staff - (Mish`enah in Hebrew), support (of every kind).

Now I understand. Now I feel comforted. I am assured that God's authority and support is with me in my darkest hour. Our bleak circumstances are subjected to His authority - and we have that authority as long as we are IN Christ because Luke 10:19 says "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you."

Sweet comfort :)