Matthew 25:3-4, 8 KJV “They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.”
I sit here at the dealership, getting an oil change for my car, which was well overdue. For this, I am quite ashamed. You see, I really have no excuse. My oil changes are prepaid. I even received a reminder text message and email. Would you believe that I am 3000 miles overdue? Yes, my car reminded me as well. In fact, I happened to watch as the Oil Life dwindled down, down, down… I scarcely thought I would make it to my appointment today, without hitting 0%, and the motor seizing or something! But, nope! I made it, 1% of oil life remaining. Surely, my prayers for the Lord to sustain what little oil I had left, we heard and honored.
But you know, in the midst of this experience I have learned a couple lessons…
1.) We cannot allow our oil/ourselves to become depleted.
2.) Sometimes, we need to be completely emptied out and refilled.
Am I saying that the lessons I learned are completely contradictory to one another? Yes! What? How? Why? Allow me to explain.
You see, as the virgins in the Bible passage above, could not allow the oil in their lamps to burn out. They could not become depleted, waiting for the bridegroom to come. The five that did had to go and search for oil to light their lamps and consequently missed him when he came for them. Not only that, those gals tried to take the oil from the other five, who kept their oil in check. You can’t steal someone else’s oil! So how does this apply to us – just what am I referring to? Our anointing. You know the spirit working within… We cannot allow this to burnout, we also cannot borrow a little bit from someone else.
The other lesson I learned was that, like the oil in my car has to be emptied and replaced, there are times when the oil within me becomes old and stale and needs a change. There are times when I must be completely emptied out and allow Christ to refill the oil within. As the widow woman in 1 Kings 17, who used the last of her oil to make the cake for Elijah, the Lord filled her cruse of oil throughout the drought in the land and she was able to feed Elijah, herself, and her son. When we empty ourselves out, in faith believing, we give space for the Almighty to fill us up.
I am at a transition, along my spiritual journey. All I know is that He lights my way. When I feel depleted, Christ gives me oil in my lamp to make it through another day, another trial, to go the distance. When I have poured my oil out into service to Him, He fills me up with a fresh oil that will not be depleted. My prayer remains for oil in my lamp to keep the flame within burning.
*Original Photo*
On the Outside Looking In 