God's Glory Church

In ancient Israel, the shepherd’s rod and staff protected and guided the sheep and even reminded the sheep that the shepherd was near. And so King David (who was a shepherd as a child) used the metaphor in Psalm 23:4 to convey this truth: God was his protector and guide.

King David faced death many times, and his enemies intended to kill him. He also dealt with his sin problems and personal mistakes. But in the midst of all this, he repeatedly drew attention to God’s faithfulness and God’s assurance.

Where did he find these assurances?

King David was supposed to be a student of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Torah — the first five books of our Bible.

To a Jew, the Torah was not just a story about God, it was the very Word of God. It was authority, promise and guidance. It was on this Word that David based his life and his psalms. David could write about God’s character because:

1. He knew the Word of God.

2. Thanks to this word, he felt the faithfulness and goodness of God.

We also have this and much more. We have the revealed Word of God from the ancient prophets in the Old Testament, the words of Jesus while on earth, and the revealed words of Jesus through the apostles and writers of the New Testament. In other words, we have what David had:

1. We have the Word of God.

2. Based on this word, we can feel the faithfulness and goodness of God.

Read what Jesus said to His disciples:

I have told you this so that you may have peace in me. In the world you will have sorrow. But take heart; I conquered the world.
John 17:33

We, like David, have nothing to fear because God is near—and He is our comfort. Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures helps us to confidently believe that God is and will be a faithful defender, guide and presence for those who love Him. So decide today to dig deep into God’s words.