Spreading Butter: "Anointed with Blessing"

Spreading Butter: "Anointed with Blessing"

Scripture: "You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." - Psalm 23:5 (NIV)

The kitchen was filled with the warm aroma of freshly baked bread as Sarah pulled the golden loaf from the oven. Her grandmother's recipe never failed to bring comfort after difficult days and today had been one of those days -bills piling up, her teenage son struggling at school, and that nagging worry about her husband's job security.

As the bread cooled, Sarah sliced off a thick piece, the steam rising like incense. She reached for the butter dish, watching as the pale-yellow square began to soften at room temperature. With a gentle stroke of her knife, she spread the butter across the warm surface, mesmerized by how it melted instantly, seeping into every pore and crevice of the bread.

"Just like God's blessings," she whispered, remembering her grandmother's words from years ago. The elderly woman had stood in this very kitchen, performing this same ritual, teaching young Sarah that the simplest moments held the deepest truths.

As Sarah watched the butter disappear into the bread, transforming its texture and taste, she thought about the psalmist's words: "You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." In biblical times, oil represented God's favor, His consecration of the ordinary into something sacred. Kings, priests, and prophets were anointed, not because they were perfect, but because God chose to work through imperfect vessels.

The butter had now completely absorbed into the bread, no longer visible but enriching every bite. Sarah realized this was exactly how God's blessings worked in her life. Even when circumstances felt dry and flavourless, His grace was quietly soaking in, reaching places she didn't even know needed healing. The sleepless nights worried about finances were met with unexpected small kindnesses from neighbours. Her son's struggles had drawn them closer as a family. Even her husband's job uncertainty had reminded them both of what truly mattered.

She took a bite of the buttered bread, savouring its richness. God wasn't stingy with His Goodness-He spread it generously, lavishly, until her cup overflowed even during challenges. The anointing wasn't something she had to earn or strive for; it was His gift, as natural and necessary as butter on warm bread.

Poetic Reflection:

You spread Your blessing, rich and free, anointing love flows over me.

In every crumb, your grace I find, A taste of heaven, sweet and kind.

Reflection for Believers

God's anointing isn't reserved for perfect moments-it transforms ordinary struggles into sacred encounters. Like butter melting into bread, His blessings penetrate our hardest places with gentle persistence. When life feels overwhelming, remember that His cup never empties; it overflows with grace that nourishes and restores. Trust in His abundant provision.