His Portion for Life’s Hurts

Duane Deckert, a pastor and sheep rancher in North Dakota, made a curious connection between his sheep and his church members. Just like he knew each individual in the church, he knew each of his sheep.

He has 75 sheep, and he doesn’t name them, he numbers them. He specifically remembers the time it took for number 27 to accept him as her shepherd. Most sheep acclimate to a new shepherd within a fairly short time, but this sheep took one to two years to accept Duane.

Every time he came to see them, she would run to the back of the barn. One day she hurt her foot, and Duane needed to tend to her, but she would run limping away from him. He could never catch her. Eventually she got very sick and he had to catch her.

After catching her and moving her to a confined stall where she could rest. He would come in daily to give her antibiotics and injections. As he doctored her, he would talk to her. Gradually, she warmed up to him and now she comes to him when he comes in the barn and eats right out of his hand. She’s fully accepted him and even allows him to care for her lambs.

What is curious is that it is often in life’s hurts that we finally learn to trust God. It’s in the pain when we need specific, individualized care, that we learn God’s heart for us.

Psalm 23:5 “5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

We looked last week at the Tableland that shepherds would provide for their sheep. They always made sure they had good land to graze on, even in the harsh seasons.

“You anoint my head with oil…”

Shepherds to this day still use olive oil as a way to soothe sheep and promote healing when they have a nick or a cut somewhere.

Our Good Shepherd is always attentive to our wounds. He anoints us with oil as well.

Oil in the Bible is used often as a symbol of the Holy Spirit and qualities that are Spirit-given.

Galatians 5:22–23 “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Jesus is given the title “Christ” and “Messiah” which literally mean “Anointed One”.

Isaiah 61:1–3 “1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.”

Isaiah 11:1–2 “1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.”

John 3:34 “34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.”

Now Jesus has the Spirit upon Him and working alongside Him. He is anointed with these things on earth. He is our example.

John 14:16–17 “16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”

The same Spirit that worked in and alongside Jesus. He, Who has been with the Father and the Son for all eternity past, is living now in every believer.

We are anointed with gladness, wisdom, understanding, strength, knowledge and fear of the Lord. And the Holy Spirit gives without measure, or without limits.

“My cup overflows…”

Sheep require alot of water. And shepherds had to make sure they had water when they were away from rivers and streams.

David says that his Shepherd, the Lord, keeps his water trough overflowing.

John 10:7–10 “7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

It’s almost like Jesus was remembering that little Psalm that a shepherd boy wrote about Him.

What is this cup that is overflowing in our lives? How do we get to enjoy its refreshing benefits?

God’s Word. Every Word is God’s Word and we get to fill up on Who He is and what He has done.

Romans 15:13 “13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

Paul’s prayer for the Romans is the same hope for us. May we be filled with joy and peace in believing. As you read God’s Word, you get filled with knowledge but also heartwarming understanding of how much God loves you.

Matthew 20:20–23 ESV

20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21 And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 22 Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23 He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

Our cup of blessing overflows because He drank our other overflowing cup of sin.

Sin filled us and spilled out of us continually. Even today we will put more sin in that cup, but the beauty is that cup can’t hold anything anymore because Jesus has already drunk to the full the wrath of God for all sin.

He drank that bitter cup so that we could have the blessed cup overflowing with God’s mercy and grace.

Psalm 23:5 “5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”