Welcome back to another episode of Extra Mayo with Pastor Josh Mayo!

This week we’re unpacking Psalm 23:4 — “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

It’s a reminder that real comfort doesn’t come from the absence of danger but from the presence of a Shepherd who is both strong and near.

Main Topics Covered:

-The rod: God’s power, protection, and loving correction.

-The staff: His guidance, intimacy, and rescue.

-Justice + mercy: the Shepherd’s strength and tenderness working together.

-Why discipline isn’t rejection—it’s proof you belong to Him.

-The Shepherd’s comfort: boundaries that protect and presence that sustains.

Practical Life Applications:

-Rest in the security of God’s strength to defend you.

-Lean into His Spirit to guide you through confusion.

-See correction as care, not condemnation.

-Remember: you’re never unprotected and never alone.

-Let His justice and mercy reshape how you extend grace to others.

Extra Insights:

-Spurgeon: “The Word of God is the rod of the Shepherd, and the Spirit of God is the staff by which He sustains and guides.”

-Augustine saw the rod as the cross and the staff as the church—Christ’s finished work and His ongoing care.

-The rod and staff point us forward to the Shepherd-King who rules and comforts forever.

Passages Mentioned:

-Psalm 23:4

-Hebrews 12:6

-Psalm 85:10

-Revelation 7:17

Shared Resources:

Sunday Message: Psalm 23:4 — Your Rod and Your Staff

C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison

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