HEALING

Every year I ask: "Where is Jesus inviting me to grow this year and in what areas of my life?

And how would he have me do that?"

HE ANOINTS MY HEAD WITH OIL

RECITE

Psalm 23 ESV

A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even 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. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.[a] 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness[b] for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,[c] 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 overflows. 6 Surely[d] goodness and mercy[e] shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell[f] in the house of the Lord forever.[g]

you anoint my head with oil;

SO, WHAT HAS ANOINTING MY HEAD WITH OIL GOT TO DO WITH ALL OF THIS?

MAX LUCADO IN HIS BOOK TRAVELLING LIGHT EXPLAINS THIS NEED FOR OIL SO CLEARLY.

IN ANCIENT ISRAEL OIL WAS USED BY THE SHEPHERDS FOR 3 REASONS:

REPEL

PREVENT

HEAL

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REPEL-

FLIES, MOSQUITOES AND GNATS – PEOPLE DO NOT LIKE THEM BUT THEY CAN KILL SHEEP,

FIRST THEY SUCCEED IN DRIVEING THE SHEEP CRAZY, THE SUMMER IS HORRIBLE FOR SHEEP WITH THESE PESTS AROUND, IF THE NOSE FLIES GET TO LAY EGGS IN A SHEEPS NOSE THEY HATCH INTO A WORM LIKE LARVA AND JUST DRIVE THE SHEEP NUTS,

· THEY WILL EVEN HIT THEIR HEADS AGAINST A TREE,

· A ROCK OR BRUSH.

· WHEN THESE SWARMS OF FLIES APPEAR THE SHEEP RUN, HIDE AND TOSS THEIR HEADS UP AND DOWN FOR HOURS,

· THEY FORGET TO EAT AND THEY CAN’T SLEEP,

· THE EWES EVEN STOP MILKING AND THE LAMBS STOP GROWING. SO, IT IS FOR THIS VERY REASON THAT THE SHEPHERD ANOINTS THE SHEEP.

· THE FRAGRANCE KEEPS THE INSECTS AWAY AND THERE IS PEACE.

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PREVENT –

WELL FOR A WHILE AT LEAST, UNTIL MATING SEASON WHEN THE RAMS START LOOKING AROUND FOR THEIR SPECIAL GAL. AND WHEN TWO RAMS SPOT THE SAME GAL, WELL THERE IS A LITTLE PROBLEM HERE, THEY FIGHT FOR HER ATTENTION AND THE WAY THEY DO THIS IS THEY BUTT HEADS, THEY LOOK AT EACH OTHER BOW THEIR HEADS DOWN AND POW! HEAD BUTT BREAKS OUT.

TO PREVENT INJURY THE SHEPHERD ANOINTS THE RAMS HE SMEARS A SLIPPERY GREASY SUBSTANCE OVER THE NOSE AND HEAD. THIS LUBRICANT CAUSES THEM TO GLANCE OFF RATHER THAN TO CRASH INTO EACH OTHER.

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HEAL –

SHEEP STILL GET HURT AND THE THIRD REASON THE SHEPHERD ANOINTS THE SHEEP.

· SIMPLY LIVING IN A PASTURE CAUSES WOUNDS, THORNS, ROCKS OR EVEN RUBBING IT’S HEAD AGAINST A TREE THEY GET HURT.

· SO THAT IS WHY THE SHEPHERD REGULARLY INSPECTS THE SHEEP SOMETIMES EVEN DAILY.

· HE DOES NOT WANT TODAYS WOUNDS TO BECOME TOMORROWS INFECTION.

SO, IF YOU THOUGHT ALL SHEPHERDS STOOD AROUND AND DID NOTHING BUT WATCH SHEEP ALL DAY I HOPE YOU NOW HAVE A BETTER INSIGHT INTO WHAT AMOUNT OF WORK WENT INTO THE TASK OF SHEPHERDING.

“ THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD” I THINK THIS MEANS A WHOLE LOT MORE THAN THAT.

JUST LIKE THE SHEPHERD GOD DOES NOT WANT US TO BE HURT, OUR HURTS MAY BE DIFFERENT BUT THE PRINCIPAL IS THE SAME, WHEN WE GET DISAPPOINTED AND DISCOURAGED BEFORE LONG IF WE LOOK AROUND WE SEE THAT THIS WOUND HAS BECOME INFECTED, AND THEN FESTERS AND EVENTUALLY CAUSES SO MUCH DAMAGE.

SLIDE PSALM 100

Psalm 100:3 ESV

Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

SLIDE QUESTION WHY?

SO WHY DO WE NEED TO BE ANOINTED WITH OIL?

SLIDE HEAD WITH THOUGHTS IN MY HEAD

BECAUSE WHEN THE FLIES OF LIFE START TO BUZZ AROUND OUT HEADS WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE BOTHERED BY THEM BECAUSE THEY WILL JUST REPEL OFF AND WE WILL HAVE PEACE.

SLIDE OF TWO RAMS BUTTING HEADS / PEOPLE FIGHTING

WHEN WE START TO BUTT HEADS WITH ONE ANOTHER, THE OIL WILL PREVENT US FROM GETTING HURT, INSTEAD OF BUTTING HEADS AND LOCKING HORNS, THE OIL ENABLES US TO DEFLECT THE BLOW AND SLIDE OFF INSTEAD. WE CAN AGREE TO DISAGREE AND NOT LET THINGS GET IN OUR WAY. AND WE CAN ALSO SEEK RESOLUTION WITHOUT HAVING TO RESORT TO HEAD BUTTING.

SLIDE WOUNDED SHEEP /

AND LASTLY THAT WE DAILY INSPECT OUT WOUNDS AND APPLY OIL TO THEM SO THAT THEY HEAL AND DO NOT BECOME INFECTED. AND THAT MEANS THAT SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO LOOK AT OURSELVES AND SEE THOSE THINGS THAT ARE OFFENDING US AND TAKE THEM TO GOD FIRST, DAVID TRUSTED GOD TO HEAL HIS WOUNDS.

IF GOD DIRECTS GO EVEN TO THE PERSON TO CLEAR THE AIR AND GET CLOSURE. NOT TO YOUR NEIGHBOUR, OR YOUR HAIRDRESSER.

GO TO THE THRONE AND NOT THE PHONE.

TAKE IT TO THE GREATEST SHEPHERD OF ALL AND ASK HIM TO HEAL YOUR WOUNDS, GOD IS THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN HEAL OUR WOUNDS, IF WE LET HIM.

BUT SOMETIMES IT IS OUR PRIDE THAT GETS IN THE WAY.

· THE FIRST STEP IS GOING TO GOD

· AND THE SECOND STEP IS TO BOW BEFORE GOD AND LET HIM ANOINT YOU,

· ASSUME THE POSTURE OF HUMILITY, SO WHY DONT YOU SEARCH YOUR HEART AND ASK GOD TO SHOW YOU

Psalm 139 ESV

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me! They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain. Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Psalm 139:23–24 ESV

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

PSALM 139:23-24

New Living Translation (NLT)

-25

· SEARCH ME O GOD , AND KNOW MY HEART, TEST ME AND KNOW MY ANXIOUS THOUGHTS, SEE IF THERE IS ANY OFFENSIVE WAY IN ME AND LEAD ME IN THE WAY THAT IS EVERLASTING.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

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COME MAKING A REQUEST, NOT A DEMAND FOR OUR WAY BUT FOR HIM TO SHOW US HIS WAY AND IF GOD SAYS THIS IS WHERE I WANT YOU THEN THAT IS WHERE YOU NEED TO BE, AND YOU NEED TO TRUST HIM.

SHEEP DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY THE OIL REPELS THE FLIES OR HOW IT HEALS THE WOUNDS AND PROTECTS THEIR HEADS BUT ONE THING THEY DO UNDERSTAND IS THAT THE SHEPHERD IS THE ONE WHO HELPS THEM, IT IS IN HIS PRESENCE THAT THINGS CHANGE, FOR THE BETTER,

WHY DON’T WE BOW BEFORE THE SHEPHERD TODAY AND LET HIM ANOINT US WITH OIL, COME TO THE ALTER AND BRING WITH YOU YOUR WOUNDS AND LET GOD BIND THEM UP.

PRAYER INVITE