What was I thinking!?
That's what I always end up asking myself after yet another crisis of conscience that requires me to re-evaluate and eventually to repent. What is it that trips me up? What moves me to share unkind comments about another when I "know" God abhors gossip? What brings about another self-absorbed decision to shun others when I "know" God urges me to remain in fellowship? What hardens my heart toward an insulter when I "know" God commands me to re-pay even my enemies with kindness?
This week, I learned something about shepherds that helped me see the largest part of my difficulty. I learned from Pastor Scott {who teaches and preaches in Sheridan, Wy} that shepherds in David's day knew that certain parasites were prone to burrow into the orifices -- the nose, the ears, even the eyes -- of sheep and eventually drive them literally mad. 'Mad Ewe' disease. That has an ironic ring to it . . .
In David's culture, a Good Shepherd would literally drench the head of each and every sheep with olive oil to prevent these persistent parasites from clinging to the wool. Where they could not cling, they could not collect near the vulnerable areas on a sheep's head.
When David was annointed by Samuel to be the next King of God's People, young shepherd David's head was literally drenched with this same olive oil, a frequent symbol in scripture of the Power of the Holy Spirit of God. Samuel's first act and gift for David was to protect his mind.
More than once throughout his perilous life, David pleaded with God not to remove his Holy Spirit from him. When he should have done so, he wandered off into madness that ended in murder. King Saul, you will remember, lost this same annointing of the Holy Spirit and went stark raving mad.
Being a "hands-on" learner, I immediately purchased a small vial of Bio-Oil, which I now apply to my forehead every morning after I re-new my mind with God's living Word. In this way, I hope to re-mind myself of my need for this precious, defensive purpose of the Annointing of God, which is God's gift for every sheepish member of God's family.
That's what I always end up asking myself after yet another crisis of conscience that requires me to re-evaluate and eventually to repent. What is it that trips me up? What moves me to share unkind comments about another when I "know" God abhors gossip? What brings about another self-absorbed decision to shun others when I "know" God urges me to remain in fellowship? What hardens my heart toward an insulter when I "know" God commands me to re-pay even my enemies with kindness?
This week, I learned something about shepherds that helped me see the largest part of my difficulty. I learned from Pastor Scott {who teaches and preaches in Sheridan, Wy} that shepherds in David's day knew that certain parasites were prone to burrow into the orifices -- the nose, the ears, even the eyes -- of sheep and eventually drive them literally mad. 'Mad Ewe' disease. That has an ironic ring to it . . .
In David's culture, a Good Shepherd would literally drench the head of each and every sheep with olive oil to prevent these persistent parasites from clinging to the wool. Where they could not cling, they could not collect near the vulnerable areas on a sheep's head.
When David was annointed by Samuel to be the next King of God's People, young shepherd David's head was literally drenched with this same olive oil, a frequent symbol in scripture of the Power of the Holy Spirit of God. Samuel's first act and gift for David was to protect his mind.
More than once throughout his perilous life, David pleaded with God not to remove his Holy Spirit from him. When he should have done so, he wandered off into madness that ended in murder. King Saul, you will remember, lost this same annointing of the Holy Spirit and went stark raving mad.
Being a "hands-on" learner, I immediately purchased a small vial of Bio-Oil, which I now apply to my forehead every morning after I re-new my mind with God's living Word. In this way, I hope to re-mind myself of my need for this precious, defensive purpose of the Annointing of God, which is God's gift for every sheepish member of God's family.
