Day 44 - My Head
The contrast is striking. Simon offered Jesus a place in his house, but the woman treated Him as someone worthy of great honor.
Day 44 – My Head
Psalm 23:5 — “You anoint my head…”
David includes a detail about anointing that is easy to overlook: “my head.”Why the head?
The head was a significant place of honor. Oil poured over the head could refresh a weary traveler and communicate welcome and respect. After traveling dusty roads in the heat, anointing the head with fragrant oil was more than a pleasant gesture. It was an act of hospitality that said, You are welcome here. You are my guest.
There is something similar in the account of Jesus and the woman who anointed Him in Luke 7:36-50. Although Simon had invited Him into his home, he had not provided the customary water for His feet or oil for His head. The woman, however, went far beyond ordinary hospitality. She washed His feet with her tears and anointed them with perfume.
The contrast is striking. Simon offered Jesus a place in his house, but the woman treated Him as someone worthy of great honor.
The head and the feet also suggest something more practical. The head represents the person being honored, while the feet tell the story of the journey that brought him there.
I think that’s part of what David is seeing. God cares about what the journey has done to us.
Isaiah says God, “gives strength to the weary” (Isaiah 40:29). Jesus invited the weary to come to Him and find rest (Matthew 11:28).
The Shepherd doesn’t shame His sheep for being tired after a difficult journey. He refreshes them.
That may be one of the most comforting elements of this picture. David isn’t being congratulated for surviving the valley. He’s being cared for by the One who brought him through it.
Think about the difference between coming home after a typical day and arriving home after a long journey. The same chair is there. But when you’re exhausted, sitting down feels different. Rest becomes something you don’t just appreciate—it’s something you need.
God knows that kind of weariness in us. He knows when our souls need something more. Sometimes we just need to sit down at His table and let Him refresh us.
