A Greasy Head Is Grace

Psalm 23:5 (NIV)

You anoint my head with oil

Is there anything more infuriating than the buzz buzz of a bug in the darkness of a bedroom? Perhaps the moment they fly into the window and there is a small thud and reprieve… until it happens again…. and again…. and again.

Bugs bug people, but they can be deadly for sheep. In fact, they pose one of the greatest threats to a flock. Insects can make their way into a sheep’s eardrum. The noise irritates them, and seeking relief, they dash their heads against rocks and walls to silence it, often harming themselves. To combat this, before the bug repellant, the ancient shepherd would anoint the flock with oil so the bug would slide off before they could drive the sheep to self-destruction.

Of course, that didn’t mean the sheep would never experience pain. Injury was inevitable. Daily-life scrapes against terrains and scraps with others would often cause injury, but then the anointing oil had its second effect: it acted as a healing balm that cleansed wounds and soothed the pain.

We aren’t too different from sheep if you think about it. 

In daily life, injury is inevitable, but most destructive is when something gets on the inside – unforgiveness, resentment, bitterness, or a lie of the enemy about self-worth and identity. Our shepherd wants to anoint us so that we are protected and healed.

Have you ever tried to grab a sheep? Me neither, but I watched a video, and they buck and try to run. They have to be caught and wrestled to the ground… that’s where I hope my similarity with the sheep ends. We have a shepherd who wants to anoint our heads, protect us, and heal us; let us not put up a fight! Instead, let us go to him and freely give ourselves to his care.

Prayer: I surrender, anoint my head with oil.