From the archives of Oral Roberts – Seventh of eight parts
Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. — Psalm 23:5
Oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. As a young boy, the psalmist David was anointed with oil by the prophet Samuel. Later, David’s life was filled with danger, temptation, hardships, and anxieties. Yet, because of that special anointing, he was always able to rejoice in the Lord. He sang, Shout with joy before the Lord, O earth!… Come before him singing with joy… the Lord is God! He made us — we are his people, the sheep of his pasture (Psalm 100:1˗3 TLB).
Israel is a hot country, and under the blaze of the noonday sun, the sheep become weak and lifeless. Also, briars often scratch their faces. At the end of their day, the shepherd goes among the sheep with a vial of oil and pours it on their heads and into their wounds. The oil goes all over them, refreshing, soothing and healing them.
When we’re in such a tangle with our adversaries and problems that we don’t know what to do, the Lord anoints us with His Holy Spirit, and the joy of the Spirit runs down the sides of our souls, out of the cup and into the saucer!