Give me Oil in my Lamp

I had a revelation. I like to say that and when you get to know me you will get

excited too. I love when that happens! It does not happen every day, but in this

case, it happened over the course of two days. First, when I was reading my old

testament reading for the day, in Exodus. I read these verses:

‘Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps

may be kept burning. In the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain that is in front

of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the

Lord from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance among the

Israelites for generations to come.’ (Exodus 27:20,21).

I read this at my desk and immediately I got tears in my eyes. It reminded me of a

song that we used to sing as kids: ‘give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning,

burning, burning. Give me oil in my lamp, I pray! Hallelujah! Give me oil in my

lamp, keep me burning, burning, burning, keep me burning till the break of day!’

I realized in a new way that the ‘oil’ is Jesus. The Holy Spirit. Wow. Maybe you

already noticed that, but I did not!

So, this brings me to day two. I am still thinking about that when Danny said:

‘Let’s go to the Dunes today! Hiking!’ The ‘old me’ would have said I was too

busy. But actually he was right. It was a beautiful, warm January day in

Northwest Indiana. So, we hiked up Mt. Jackson, and then decided to walk along

the beach. On our way back, I told him about the ‘oil in my lamp’ verses that I

had read. And I sang that song with him (he knew it too). And then I said this,

almost without realizing what I was saying: ‘I never really understood the parable

about the 10 virgins and the oil in their lamps. But what if the oil is Jesus, and you

cannot rely on someone else’s oil: you have to have your own??!?’

This is the parable Jesus told and it all connected for me that day:

‘At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out

to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five of them were wise.

The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise,

however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time

in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang

out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all the virgins woke

up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise: ‘Give us some of

your oil, our lamps are going out.’ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough

for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for

yourselves.’ But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom

arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet.

And the door was shut. Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’, they said. ‘Open the

door for us!’ But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’ Therefore,

keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.’ (Matthew 5:1-13)

What if Jesus is the oil? He is! And what if I cannot rely on someone else’s

relationship with Jesus but I need my own? Yes!

God is the God of the individual.

In Ezekiel 14:12 God explains that we cannot rely on someone else’s relationship

with God, we must have our own:

‘The word of the Lord came to me, ‘Son of man,

if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against

it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its men and their

animals, even if these three men- Noah, Daniel, and Job-were in it, they could

save only themselves by their righteousness,’ declares the Sovereign Lord.’

He numbered the hairs on our head. Each of us. So, when my world fell apart

because of my husband’s addiction and my own fears, I ran out of oil. I let my

lamp get snuffed out. My lamp, not anyone else’s lamp, jut mine. I stopped

reading my Bible, praying, trusting God, and walking in His ways. I knew that but

because my situation was so bad I gave up on God. This went on for a while, until

I finally admitted it was not working. I was more miserable now that I even was

then. So, I reluctantly turned back to Him. And He is gracious. Kind. And forgiving

of rebellion if you turn from it! He promises to reveal Himself to those who fear

Him:

‘The Lord confides in those who fear Him; He makes His covenant known to

them.’ (Psalms 25:14).

For me, it was not too late to turn from my sin and follow God again! And the joy

and peace I have does not even compare to the feelings I had before! And if you

are reading this, it is not too late for you either. But the enemy of our souls will

not give up his hold easily. You must persist in seeking God! Do not give up.

Keep seeking Him and He will let you find Him. And along with that, make the

hard choices: get rid of anything that is keeping you trapped in some sin.

Anything! Wrong thinking, wrong people, wrong places. You know what needs to

change in your own life if you are willing to be honest. Get rid of it all and let God

bring you the things He wants in your life. You might go through a time of

loneliness while you are changing things that need to change, but that is good,

because it will be just you and God while you are getting to know Him in a way

that you never did before! He is invisible! Immortal! Eternal! He is real. He loves

you and me so much. Get to know Him and watch your life change. Mine did,

and it still is changing. Now I want to keep my lamp burning more than anything

else I have ever wanted in my life. I never want to live a careless, complacent life

again. It is the thing that destroys.

So, wake up, and go get your oil.

‘And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake

up from your slumber because our salvation is nearer now than when we first

believed. The night is nearly over, the day is almost here. So, let us put aside the

deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the

daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery,

not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus

Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.’

(Romans 13:11-14)