David began the Twenty-third Psalm by saying, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”  In so doing, he was identifying himself as a sheep in the Lord’s pasture. I am looking at just one aspect of this Psalm today, where David talks about being anointed with oil.

While it’s common in our services to be anointed with oil, it is usually just a drop applied to the forehead, or perhaps to an area needing a healing touch. David understood the blessing of being anointed with oil, but the anointing David is talking about here is more than just a drop on the forehead. As a shepherd, he knew there were times when a significant amount of oil needed to be applied to the sheep for their well-being.

Insects would not only irritate the sheep, but they would also lay eggs in the nose and ears, which led to inflammation and infection. The sheep would become distracted and obsessed with keeping those bugs away. The pain would cause the sheep to rub its head on the ground, and even bang its head on tree trunks, attempting to get rid of the intruders. In severe cases, a sheep may kill itself trying to get away from the pain. If the sheep managed to survive, the infection caused by the larvae can cause it to go blind. So, shepherds applied oil as a soothing remedy that kept the pests away. Relief was immediate. Gone was the aggravation, the frenzy, the irritability, and the restlessness. It was an incredible transformation.

This is a beautiful picture of God’s anointing. Describing us as sheep, the psalmist says that the Lord, our Shepherd, anoints our head with oil, bringing calm into our lives. The irritants and annoyances of life disappear. Can you picture yourself receiving an anointing like that from God? We all need his healing balm to cope with the problems of each day. Allow the Good Shepherd to anoint you with His grace, mercy, and love.