The Good Shepherd Sample

One of my favorite things about this Psalm is the invitation to see the Lord from the vantage point of sheep. When we look into the life of sheep, we see that they are totally dependent upon the Shepherd for food, shelter, shade, protection, and so on.

There is a specific line that says, “You anoint my head with oil…” and this sounds so elegant and poetic, but in a book called “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23,” I recently discovered the context behind that line. The Shepherd uses oil to protect the flock from insects that would try to crawl into the nostrils of the sheep and plant eggs. Without this protection, the defenseless flock will begin to rub their faces on the ground or bang their heads against rocks, trees, or any kind of hard surface to rid themselves of their painful nasal intruders. And unfortunately, sometimes, this can lead to their demise.

Heartbreakingly, much like the sheep, some of us have experienced our heads being met with intruders. And we’ve been invaded by anxiety, depression, fear, feeling worthless, doubt, shame, and the list goes on. These intruders rob us of our sleep, peace, freedom, friendships, marriages, relationships with family, and even our view of The Lord.

And we bang our heads against hard surfaces like bad relationships, drug addictions, social media, porn, etc., all in an attempt to silence the painful noise of past trauma, heartbreak, and disappointments. And some lose hope and give up. And the next thing you know, there’s an alert on our phones with the heartbreaking news of their passing.

But I have good news, friends. The Good Shepherd is on his way, and he’s coming to anoint our heads with oil.

The shepherd anointing the heads of his flock with oil accomplishes three things.

1. Brings Relief. Shepherds pour oil into their sheep’s noses, removing the intruders and soothing the internal pain. Likewise, Christ, the Good Shepherd, is sending us constant relief from our internal pain by way of His Presence.

2. Provides Protection. The oil also serves as a shield, providing a protective layer around the sheep’s nostrils, preventing further intrusions. In God’s presence, we are surrounded with His Peace—a hedge of protection that guards against anxiety and fear and keeps our minds on Him.

3. Brings Healing. The Shepherd’s oil has the power and properties to heal the self-inflicted cuts, scrapes, and bruises the sheep experience after constantly banging their heads against hard surfaces. No matter the damage we’ve done attempting to make our anxiety, pain, and fear go away, Jesus is faithful to flood us with the oil of His goodness, mercy, and healing.