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Writer's pictureJeff

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.



While David did not list all the various duties that he performed as a shepherd, he did give us two more important items: he anointed his sheep with oil and made their troughs overflow.

One day when I was checking our cows, I noticed that the bull’s ear was bleeding. Upon closer inspection, he had a chunk of his ear taken out. I had seen him and the donkey fighting with each other from time to time but had no idea that such a large bull would allow a little donkey to take a chunk out of his ear with his teeth. The local vet was unable to visit us at the time, but recommended that we put some olive oil on it. After several treatments, the wound healed.

The Good Shepherd is alert to our various hurts, cuts, and problems, and He anoints us with oil. Our Lord continues to want the best for His sheep, and He knows how to heal our hurts and take care of our wounds. He rubs His soothing oil on us.


In Scripture, oil often symbolizes the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was baptized at the beginning of His ministry, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove (Matthew 3:16). In John 3:34, we read that God anointed Jesus without limit. We refer to Jesus as the “Christ,” which means “The Anointed One” in Greek, taken from the root word, “Christos.”


Just as our Great Shepherd was Himself anointed with the Spirit without measure, so He anoints His children with the “spiritual oil” of healing, gladness, and power. He anoints us with the Holy Spirit, who has come to comfort, counsel, and help us (John 14:16-17). The Holy Spirit makes real to us all the Father has planned for us and provided for us. “And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). In turn, His sheep are promised to be: led by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16); filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18); and empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:31). God gives us a Spirit-filled life in abundance so that it overflows or runs over onto others. A Spirit-filled life naturally shares the grace and mercy that has been poured out on it. The Christian life is an overflowing life; our work for the Lord is simply the overflow of our walk with Him.

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