Leader Guide
Object Lesson
- Shepherd's Staff or Shepherd’s Staff Pattern
- Walking stick—long, thick branch or stick; or broom handle
- Optional: poster board, pencil, and scissors
- Bible or the Superbook Bible App
If you do not have a shepherd’s staff, make a copy of the Shepherd’s Staff Pattern, or sketch the staff on a large poster board and cut it out.
Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “Jesus will guide me and protect me.” David wrote about this guidance and protection in Psalm 23. Read Psalm 23:4:
Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. Your rod and Your staff protect and comfort me.
In this verse, David, the shepherd, talks about two important tools a shepherd carries. He likened these tools to God’s care of him. They are still used by shepherds today to guide and protect their sheep. Do you remember why David chose not to use Saul’s armor? Too heavy, not his size, not comfortable.
Hold up the walking stick and shepherd’s staff. The rod and staff are carefully selected and crafted to be the right length and weight for each shepherd. Hold up the rod. The shepherd’s rod is used to protect the sheep and shepherd from prowling, wild animals that try to attack the sheep. The rod is a symbol of his strength, power and authority. It is also used to lovingly discipline a stubborn sheep that needs correction.
In Psalm 23, is David saying that God stands over us with a club? Smile.
NO, not at all! God doesn’t do that! Hold up the Bible. Our Good Shepherd gives us this rod to defend against our prowling enemy, the devil. Read 1 Peter 5:8:
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
The rod is a symbol of God’s Word and His power and authority in our lives. Jesus used God’s Word as a rod of protection and authority in the wilderness to defeat Satan and his temptations. God’s Word protects us and lovingly corrects us when we, like sheep, stray from God’s path.
Hold up the staff. The other tool a shepherd uses is the staff. The staff is a long, slender stick with a curved or crooked end. The curved end is shaped to gently guide sheep along the path, or to lift and move any that wander off the path. The staff can be used to free a sheep stuck in the bushes or in immediate danger from a predator.
The shepherd also uses the staff to pull a sheep close to him for a loving, comforting touch and to closely examine it for a wound or disease. The shepherd leans on his staff for support and strength as he walks or stands to watch over the sheep as they graze or rest.
Our Good Shepherd provides us with a staff, too—the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit lives inside of us. We can lean on God’s Spirit for comfort and support. The Spirit guides us and pulls us close to our Heavenly Father, so He can examine our hearts and spend time with us. That’s why the shepherd’s staff can be a symbol of God’s Holy Spirit.
A shepherd practices with his rod and staff until he is skillful in its use to guide and protect his sheep. We, too, need to know and use God’s Word effectively in our lives. We must learn to recognize the voice of God’s Spirit in our hearts so He can guide us on the path He has chosen for us and help us make wise choices.