"Rod and Staff"

"Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me." (Psalms 119:98)

  Before we can truly appreciate what David is saying here, we really need to have settled this issue of God knowing all things and having ultimate control over everything, whether it is seen or unseen. This is something that many people struggle with, without even knowing it. It's not that they don't believe in God, it is not even that they don't believe that He is Almighty; it is more about whether or not He is watching and caring over them, personally. We have really got to settle this once and for all: God is big enough and powerful enough to truly know every hair upon my head, and He cares for me! Don't see it? Look again, because there is something about wisdom that requires more than just knowledge, it requires a personal relationship with the Source! I was reminded about this yesterday by Pastor McGee, that you cannot determine what is counterfeit by studying the false religions, you must know and understand what is truth, and then the things that are false will be made obvious. We can actually see where this is going and everything that is behind it; instead of being led astray by something that is not founded in truth. As to the title above, the Rod signifies more than just a instrument to strike with, it is also referring to an instrument used for measuring; kind of like where Mark Twain got his name. This type of measurement it to determine what is safe and what might cause harm; just as it is with every commandment of God, they are rods used to show where we stand in the light of what He requires. As Paul said in Romans 7:7; 'I did not know that I coveted until I knew the law that said, "Thou shalt not covet." Paul used that example for reason, because it was something that he knew personally from experience. The Staff is pretty much about support, of any kind. What that means in regards to wisdom, is that of a Foundation, as in: Does it stand up on its own, and can it be built upon? A really good example of what that might look like, is that of everything else in our lives being stripped away, and would Jesus still be our Rock! This is the kind of personal relationship that I am talking about. Where there is no second guessing on what is truth, because the Source of the Truth is living in us; and there is no match for where we stand, because our Foundation is Christ...

"Let the message about Christ in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father." (Colossians 3:16-17) NLT