Pull Up a Chair

“You make ready a table for me in front of my haters: you put oil on my head; my cup is overflowing” (Ps. 23:5, BBE, emphasis mine).

Biblically, oil represents the Holy Spirit. In Bible stories, God would show that He was choosing a leader for His people by oil poured on their head. The anointing oil was a visual cue of His presence and favor now marking that life for His service.

With that in mind, we read our verse for today with a new perspective. We learn what God does for us when we are facing difficult battles. Have you become aware of the “haters” in the spiritual realm that really, really don’t like you? Scripture defines them for us as “spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12, NKJV). Haters is a perfect term for them. That’s what they do. They detest you and me because we were created in God’s image, and they detest Him.

So what does Daddy do for us when those haters are waging a battle against us? Recently we talked about how He spreads out a banquet and invites us to feast with Him. Today, let’s add this to our meditation. “You put oil on my head.” He pours Holy Spirit on us. Once we come to the table He has spread, He douses us with His presence. He anoints our head with His beautiful oil. In the spiritual realm, this announces to everyone near and far that you and I are chosen of Him. His presence and favor are marking our lives indelibly.

So generous is He with this anointing that something quite unexpected happens. Instead of being dismayed by our circumstances, we find our cup overflowing with joy! The presence of God’s Spirit is powerful indeed to reverse what the enemy is trying to do in our lives. In fact, “It shall come to pass in that day that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil” (Isa. 10:27, NKJV). Whatever burden was weighing you down gets blasted to pieces when your Good Shepherd anoints your head with His oil.

When battles are raging in our lives, it may seem extra difficult to find time to be alone with Jesus. However, it’s exactly then that we need it the most. If we will put Him first, we will live out the truths of this Scripture. Even with haters all around, a banquet is ready. A horn of oil is prepared specifically for your head today, ready to remove the burdens from your soul. It surely is worth it to put everything on pause and pull up a chair at Daddy’s feast!

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Why do you think God chose oil as one of the symbols for His Spirit?