My Wow Moment

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." Psalm 23:5

The Spirit brought this verse to mind this morning while I was teaching Bible study. Literally - He popped it into my mind. It wasn't part of my notes, but it very quickly became a part of our lesson.

Today we were looking at the story in Luke 7 where Jesus had a meal at a Pharisee's home named Simon. A woman, who was a known sinner, washed Jesus' feet with her tears, wiped them dry with her hair and bathed his feet with costly perfume.

In preparing the women for this scene, I explained how a guest of honor would have been treated in that day - their feet would have been washed or at the very least, a basin of water would have been provided for cleansing, they would have been greeted with a kiss and their head would have been anointed with oil - perhaps a touch on the forehead which would denote the guest's honored state.

When this "sinner" displayed such worship of Jesus, the Pharisee scorned Jesus in his heart and Jesus called him out. After teaching a short parable about the one who is forgiven much versus the one who is forgiven little, Jesus went on to explain that though his feet were not washed when he entered the Pharisee's home, the sinner washed his feet with her tears. And though he was not greeted with a kiss, she had not stopped kissing his feet. And finally, though he had not anointed Jesus head with oil, she anointed His feet with perfume.

The imagery was clear. Jesus was not treated with honor by the Pharisee, but was held in high esteem by the sinner - the one who understood forgiveness.

It was then that the Spirit put the words to Psalm 23 in my mind: You prepare a table before me...You anoint my head with oil...my cup overflows. Within the context of this scene from the life of Christ, I was able to explain to the women that God treats us with honor at His table - He prepares it, He anoints us as honored guests and He never lets our cup empty.

Wow.

Yes, it was one of those wow moments for me.

Wow because He loves us so much.

Wow because He treats us in ways that He was not treated Himself.

Wow because He has invited me to His table, when so often I act like it is the other way around.

And wow because when you hide God's Word in your heart, He brings it to mind at just the right time.

What a wonderful Wow kind of God we serve...