Psalm 45:7 says: “You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God has anointed You with the oil of joy above Your fellows.” Hebrews 1:9 quotes this verse as referring to Jesus, and it certainly does. He loved righteousness and hated sin like no man ever did, and as a result God did indeed anoint Him with the Holy Spirit in an incomparable way: “above Your fellows.” But we would be remiss not to find application for ourselves in the verse as well.

If you would serve God, and would wish that He would bless and anoint your ministry in an unusual way, then let this verse challenge you: if you will love righteousness and hate wickedness; if you will cleanse your life from sin and “seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness”, then God will anoint YOU with the oil of joy above your companions. You will have a special blessing on your ministry that others who are not pure seem to lack. II Timothy 2:21 says virtually the same thing: “Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” God’s challenge to us is clear: purify yourself from sin in every way, and you will have what some might call “that missing something” in your ministry.