The Good Shepherd’s Preparation and Anointing
The good shepherd’s focus is the well-being of his sheep and ensuring they have everything they need to remain healthy, well-fed, and strong.
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over. Psalm 1-5
According to verse 5, a good shepherd is sacrificial in his care of the sheep, and he provides the best pastures while at the same time protecting them from their enemies. David knew this fact as a shepherd and as a sheep.
God had prepared a table for David before his enemies multiple times. When David was not invited to Samuel’s anointing party, God called him in. The Lord ensured that his brothers watched and saw him picked and being anointed right before their eyes. At another point, God prepared the perfect set up for David show up with a sack of lunch for his brothers. The Lord brought him on the scene to defeat Goliath right before the eyes of Saul and his brothers who were warriors.
The above scriptures are encouraging and are a reminder that God does not need perfect circumstances to prepare a banquet and to use His anointed. As a matter of fact, He is able to use His people right before the eyes of their enemies and the enemies of God. We see this to be true with the Old Testament characters, such as Joseph and Daniel as well as the apostles in the New Testament.
Similarly, during this time, the body of Christ does not need to be on hold to be used by God. The Lord can prepare opportunities of ministry for His people and allow them to speak and act with boldness in the name of Jesus, see the lost saved, and people healed and restored in the midst of a pandemic. In Jesus’ name. Thank you Lord!
According to Philip Keller, the author of A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, the shepherd anoints the head of the sheep in order to protect them from flies that would irritate them by trying to get into their ears, eyes, and nose. The flies can drive the sheep crazy and agitated.
Similarly, we need God’s anointing in our lives to live above our circumstances and not allow the “flies of life” to get into our heads. As a believer, we need to continue to walk by the spirit and not let the works of our flesh or others’ carnal behavior to control our lives and cause us to be agitated and irritated. Walking in the spirit is an intentional act that we must surrender ourselves to, and then through prayer and thanksgiving allow the Lord guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10
The sheep have no clue as to the location of good pastures or how to avoid the predators. It is the good shepherd that constantly is thinking and preparing for what is coming ahead and ensuring that the sheep is well taken care of.
The Lord is the one who prepares the banquet and the good works, and He anoints those He chooses for the work He has for them. The beauty of walking with God is that He knows our needs better than we do. He cares about our welfare and He knows how to protect us and use us. The more we admit and accept that we are not in charge, the more peace and contentment we will have in walking with our shepherd.
Image by Albrecht Fietz from Pixabay
Thank you for this Word my Anointed Sister-in-Christ. It is a reminder that I needed?
Praise the Lord! I’m glad that it blessed you. Thanks for sharing dear.