Psalm 23:5b-6a

 "You pour oil on my head.
      My cup runs over.
 I am sure that your goodness and love will follow me
      all the days of my life."

Psalm 23:5b-6a

I don't understand some sports. Well, really. I don't understand most sports. It really isn't my strong suit.  I really don't understand what makes some sports appealing to watch. One of the ones I really don't get? Boxing. Two men get in a ring and fight on purpose. They punch each other and make each other bleed....and people cheer and scream and think it is exciting.

I don't get it.

I did learn something new tonight, however, as I was sitting here blogging while my husband watched the sport in question. I learned that boxers put Vaseline on their face before the fight. Why? Apparently to lessen the impact of the punch as the opponent's glove slides off their face.

Hmmm.....

It got me thinking. I LOVE the relationships shown throughout Scripture of the natural to the spiritual. One such illustration is that oil is used to represent the Holy Spirit. Oil was used to fill the lampstand in the tabernacle, that was to be forever kept burning and never put out. It represented our continual need for the Holy Spirit. People were anointed with oil to show that God had a special purpose for them, or when they were being prayed over for healing.

So if we think through this in the spiritual, what happens when we are "greased" down with the Holy Spirit and someone throws a punch at us? The enemy's glove slides off!

That is how we can tolerate the hatred of the world, friends! That is how we can keep our confidence in the Lord while being bombarded with insults. Because we let the Holy Spirit grease us down. He makes us slick, so the attacks slide off.  

With your kids...

Consider doing something with your kids that will illustrate these concepts to them.

1. You could polish or waterproof a pair of shoes then drop water on them and watch it bead up.


2. Wax the car together and the spray it down and watch the water bead up.


3. Pour oil in a measuring cup, then dump it out. Then fill the same cup with something sticky like honey or molasses. Then dump out the sticky stuff and watch it slide right out.


4. Play catch, but butter your hands up first.

Talk about how when we belong to Jesus, the Holy Spirit seals us up like a waterproof coating. Others can say mean things to us or hurt our feelings, but Jesus will help it slide right off if we let Him. We can keep forgiving and loving people because Jesus is the one that loves us. It is okay if others don't always show us love. We can give them some of our extra, because Jesus gives us more than we need.