What Bugs You?

“You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” (Psalm 23:5).

Sheep are terribly sensitive animals. In “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23” by Phillip Keller, he writes:

Sheep are especially troubled by the nose fly. These little flies buzz about the sheep’s head, attempting to deposit their eggs on the damp, mucous membranes of the sheep’s nose. If they are successful the eggs will hatch in a few days to form small, slender, worm-like larvae. They work their way up the nasal passages into the sheep’s head; they burrow into the flesh and there set up an intense irritation accompanied by severe inflamation. For relief from this agonizing annoyance sheep will deliberately beat their heads against trees, rocks, posts, or brush. They will rub them in the soil and thrash around against woody growth. In extreme cases of intense infestation a sheep may even kill itself in a frenzied endeavor to gain respite from the aggravation. Often advanced stages of infection these flies will lead to blindness.

A wise shepherd applies oil and ointment to keep flies away. But this isn’t a one time application. The shepherd applies oil and ointments to the heads of his sheep throughout summer.

What bugs you? There are irritants in life that keep us from living fully into God’s grace. Our wise shepherd gives us his Holy Spirit to keep irritants at bay. Just as with sheep, the application of the Holy Spirit is to be a daily exercise. We are to apply the Holy Spirit through God’s word and prayer so that we don’t allow irritants to drive us batty!

When we apply the Holy Spirit daily, our cup overflows. The reason why God doesn’t just fill the cup to the brim is because we are selfish. But because God fills our cups to overflowing all those around people who’s cups are overflowing benefit from the blessings of the Holy Spirit.

The key is the daily application of God’s Holy Spirit through the reading of God’s word and prayer. This is a daily exercise. And when we do, our cups overflow with the blessings of God and all those around us are blessed as a result.

You’re off to a great start! Get in God’s word and be a blessing to those around you!!!