A Shabbat Devotional with Pastor Israel
Shabbat Shalom! This week I’ve been sitting with a verse from the Psalms that keeps stirring in my heart. It says:
“You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your companions.”
Psalm 45:7
There’s something very real and very personal in these words. They remind us that the choices we make in life matter deeply to God. When we love what is right, when we honor His ways, when we turn our backs on wickedness—even if it costs us something—God responds by pouring out His blessing in a way the world can’t give. He anoints us with what the Bible calls Shemen Sasson—the oil of gladness.
And this gladness is not shallow happiness or quick thrill we get from good circumstances or easy moments. It’s much deeper and much stronger. It’s a supernatural joy that comes from God’s Holy Spirit filling us from the inside out. It’s the kind of gladness that can carry you through tears, trials, and even seasons of loss, because it does not depend on what is happening around you. It depends on who is living within you.
Messiah, the Anointed One
What makes this verse even richer is that it is quoted again in the New Testament, pointing us straight to Yeshua, our Messiah. In English, when we read words like “Christ” and “anointed,” they sound different, however, in Hebrew, they are one and the same. The word Masha means “anointed,” and Mashiach means “Messiah”—the Anointed One.
This means the Messiah is not just the One who was anointed—He is the One who anoints us. What a powerful thought! The very title of Yeshua, the Mashiach, tells us that He is the source of the anointing. When we live for Him, His Spirit pours over us like oil, giving us strength, boldness, and joy. In Him, the words of this Psalm are fulfilled: He is anointed with gladness above all, and He shares that same gladness with those who follow Him.
What the Anointing Really Means
But what does it actually mean to be anointed? In biblical times, anointing with oil wasn’t just a ceremony—it was a sign of being chosen, set apart, and empowered by God. Kings were anointed before they ruled, priests before they served, and prophets before they spoke. Anointing meant that God Himself had placed His hand on your life for a purpose greater than yourself.
That’s still true for us today! The anointing is not just a tradition; it is a spiritual reality. It’s God’s way of equipping us with His supernatural power to do what we could never do on our own. It gives us the courage to stand for truth when the world pressures us to compromise. It gives us the strength to keep walking even when the road feels heavy. And it gives us a joy that not anything or anyone can steal, because it is rooted in God Himself.
The Oil of Gladness in Our Lives
Maybe you’ve had weeks where the burdens felt overwhelming, when fear or discouragement seemed heavier than you could carry. It is in those very moments that the Shemen Sasson—the oil of gladness—becomes most precious. It doesn’t erase our struggles, but it transforms how we walk through them. It lifts our eyes off the weight of the moment and fixes them on the goodness of God.
That is why the psalmist says this joy comes “more than your companions.” It is not ordinary joy—it is a mark of the presence of God in our lives. It sets us apart. It reminds us that we belong to Him and that His Spirit rests on us.
A Shabbat Blessing for You
As you welcome this Shabbat, I pray that God would pour His oil of gladness fresh over your life. May you feel His Spirit resting on you in a new way. May His joy strengthen you, heal you, and lift you above every worry or fear. May you know deep in your soul that Messiah, the Anointed One, has also anointed you.
You are not empty. You are not powerless. You are not alone. You carry the anointing of the Mashiach, and with it comes joy, strength, and peace that no one can take away.
Shabbat shalom, dear friends. May your home, your heart, and your week overflow with the gladness of His presence.
Blessings,
Pastor Israel Pochtar