Blessing

 July 27, 2022

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is 

For brethren to dwell together in unity! 

It is like the precious oil upon the head, 

Running down on the beard, 

The beard of Aaron, 

Running down on the edge of his garments. 

It is like the dew of Hermon, 

Descending upon the mountains of Zion; 

For there the Lord commanded the blessing— Life forevermore.”

—Psalm 133:1-3 

Linda loves baking in the sun. She’s not one to sit around much, but if we’re at a beach, she wants to be down on the sand, soaking up the rays. Me? I’ll take shade any day. She has an interesting habit, though. Before she goes outside, she lathers up with sunscreen, and at the end of the day after she gets her shower, she loads up on some sort of body oil. “My skin is so dry,” she says, occasionally urging me to put the stuff on, too. 

I always decline. I don’t like the greasy feeling it gives me. Not one bit. Linda therefore appreciates this psalm much more than I. In the hot, dry climate of the Middle East, olive oil has been used for centuries to soften and moisturize the skin. When one has been exposed to the harsh desert winds and sun, oil is a sweet relief. 

This morning when I woke up, my soul felt as hot and dry as a desert. I couldn’t discern any reason; I just woke up that way. But it’s Wednesday, when I meet with my friends Jeff and Rich for breakfast and prayer. Jeff is on vacation, so it was just Rich this morning. After breakfast, we retreated to the back room to pray. Beginning as usual with a psalm, we then moved to prayer, and something strange and wonderful happened. It was like a God-shower to this parched soul-soil, and I drank it in. Even more, it was the oil of the Holy Spirit, anointing my head and running down till this dry, crusty soul began to soften. 

Rich and I were unified in the Holy Spirit. It was good and pleasant. By myself, I believe my soul would have remained hard and dry, but just being together changed all that. God commanded…commanded a blessing, and it had no power to resist. The blessing came, and we were refreshed.