Thou Anointest My Head
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
As I studied this verse for our devotion, the portion: “thou anointest my head with oil” kept jumping out at me. What could the Psalmist have envisioned when he penned these words? Most scholars have focused on the Hebrew tradition when a guest was invited for a meal. They would wash the feet of the guest and then apply a sweet smelling oil to their head. This was all well and good but I knew that there had to be something more.
That’s when I stumbled across a book by Phillip Keller. Here I found that sheep have a deadly enemy called the nasal fly. These little flies buzz around the sheep’s head, attempting to lay their eggs in the sheep’s nose. Once hatched, a small larvae works its way up the nasal passages into the sheep’s head. The result is an intense irritation accompanied by severe inflammation. For relief from this agony, sheep will beat their head against trees, rocks, posts, or brush. In some cases, a sheep may even kill itself.
To combat this tormenting affliction, the shepherd has an antidote for his sheep. He prepares an ointment and then rubs it into the sheep’s head. Once the oil is applied, Mr. Keller says that there is an immediate change in behavior. The sheep begin to feed quietly again, and soon lie down in peaceful contentment.
Aren’t most of our battles fought in the mind? I will always look back to the year of 2013 when I faced the hardest battle of my life, and it was all in the mind. If you have followed this devotion, then you will be familiar with my testimony. To make a long story short, it started with a medical issue that transitioned into a battle of anxiety and depression.
As I’ve said before, Satan’s tactics can be divided into two groups: Temptation and Torment
With temptation, he attempts to draw us away from the fold and into the jaws of sin. If this method fails then he sends his flies of torment. The sheep may still be in the fold but their peace and contentment is gone because of the buzzing torment around them.
In my case, there was no desire to be out in the world so Satan sent a spirit of anxiety and depression that buzzed around my mind and would give me no relief. I wish I could tell you that my healing was instantaneous but God knew what he was doing. 1 Peter 5:10 was a scripture that I read constantly during my trial:
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
Mr. Keller said that he would prepare an ointment of linseed oil, sulphur and tar. He would then rub it into the sheep’s head and around their nose. You may not like what God is rubbing into your life but just remember that He is fortifying you against your enemy! It doesn’t mean that the tormentor will not be flying around, but you can feast at God’s table in the presence of your enemy because of the power in the ointment.
Friend, whatever you may be going through, don’t lose your confidence in the ointment. Over 2000 years ago, blood was dripping from the cross of a suffering Saviour. And with every agonizing drop, a healing balm was being created. And as the old song says, It will never lose it’s power!
Lord, thank you that we have a healing ointment from the blood that you shed on Calvary. Please help us during our seasons of anxiety to place full confidence in your healing ointment. For it is the only remedy by which we have peace of mind. Amen