March 18, 2025 Devo

This is a beautiful part of the Psalm that often blows right past us. There are a couple of different meanings here that I don’t want you to miss. The first is that the anointing represents “honor.” Kings were anointed with oil as a symbol of their royalty. So were Priests. You are BOTH. As a child of The King, you are Royalty. His blood flows through you. His Spirit lives in you. All that is His is YOURS. You are re-created in Him with dignity and honor and crowned with His Royal Name. In Christ, your past sins are forgiven, and the old garments of the person you were are cast off for His Royal Robes of Righteousness.
You are also a Priest. Because of Jesus, each one of us now has the capacity, like the priests of old, to come directly into the presence of God. We are INVITED there. We are WELCOMED there. We BELONG there. You can speak face-to-face with God about whatever is on your mind or in your heart. Your cares, your concerns, your needs…bring them all before Him. You are His Anointed One. You are His Royal Child. You are His Honored Priest.
Oil was used by shepherds as an agent of healing. At the end of the day, the shepherd would have the sheep walk past him. He would pour oil on any of their wounds or scratches to soothe them. He would also pour oil upon their heads to drive away the pesky flies that would bite the sheep and irritate their eyes. This soothing process would help the sheep to rest. Maybe that’s what some of us need today. I’ll bet there are more than a few of us who need God’s healing oil. We have wounds that need to heal. We have hurts that need His gentle touch. We have been bitten, beaten, scratched, and scraped. We have tripped, fallen, and been stung walking in places we shouldn’t have been. Which is why we need the soothing touch of our Shepherd’s oil.
Today, do you need healing? Take a moment and ask the Lord to pour the oil of His Holy Spirit out upon you. Make known to Him each wound and each hurt. It doesn’t matter if the scrapes are your fault. His oil is an oil of Grace. It is an oil of Forgiveness. It is an oil of Redemption, Renewal, and Restoration. It is an oil of Love. Take a moment and bow your weary head before Him. Let Him heal your heart, your mind, your soul, and your body. The Lord waits with His healing oil in hand. Whatever your need, the Good Shepherd is waiting to make you WHOLE. That’s God’s Word for you today.