Give Me Oil
" The
kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps
and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise and five
were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil
with them." (Matthew
25:1-3)
Not long ago, I was looking for a street in a nearby
city. It was dark and the street signs were small, making them difficult
to read. If I got out and walked, I could have read the street signs
much better, but would have missed the meeting.
The problem? I had forgotten the directions! The
written notes received from the Internet had a lot of information, such
as the miles between one place and another, and listed a major street I
would pass before coming to the right one.
The address was written in my "planner". I knew what
the goal was, but had not been to the place before, causing me to drive
slower as I peered at each street sign. The driver behind me didn't like
my decision to read them, and "tail-gated" me, coming closer until I
pulled over and let him pass.
I arrived for the meeting and all was well, but it was
a reminder that written instructions eliminate problems. Good things
come from them. You get to the right place at the right time, and the
door to entry isn't closed when you get there. Much better than driving
directions, the " Word
is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path"
(Psalm 119:105). His written Word is essential to your need.
So is His Spirit.
There's a song from years ago (essentially a
children's tune), which went " Give
me oil for my lamp, keep me burnin'; give me oil for my lamp I pray…"
The song is based on our Scripture about the ten "virgins",
and isn’t for "children" - it's for you and me.
The "lamp" of today’s Scripture is a receptacle; a
place where something (Someone) is supposed to be. A "lamp" can be a
church (Revelation 1:20), the Bible (Psalm 119:105) or people. Jesus
said we are to be " the
light of the world" (Matthew 5:14)
but the "oil"
(the Holy Spirit) must be in us, or there will be no light.
To receive Christ is to enter again a state of
innocence - He paid the price and died in our place. We are " born
again" in Him. But
there are those who have received Him, and others who are merely
religious; and all, from a human perspective, look very much alike.
We're similar in appearance and manner. All might say "amen" at
precisely the right time; all may sing the same religious songs, donate
the "right" amount, and so on.
Our "written instructions" are/is the "Bible" (Greek "biblios"
or "book"), which is a collection of writings by men who wrote as
inspired by God over a period of several hundred years. Those
instructions are wonderful and are a true indicator of where you need to
go and what must be done. And you need " oil"
(the Holy Spirit) to understand what is written.
I remember an article in "Guideposts" from many years
ago, about surveyors who were in a mountainous area to map the terrain.
Often an old shepherd shared their nightly fire. One evening, the
shepherd said, "I must go with you tomorrow." They didn't take him
because, as they said, "We now have a written map of the area." The
shepherd responded, "there is no fog on your map," but the surveyors
went by themselves. A thick fog arose and they became hopelessly lost.
Suddenly, out of the fog the shepherd appeared and led them back to the
camp.
We have two witnesses and we need both of them. The
Psalmist correctly told us, " Thy
Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path"
(Psalm 119:105). The lamp has to contain oil in order to light the way
of the person who carried it, and you must contain the Holy Spirit of
God, in order to "see" what the Bible offers.
The Apostle Peter told us how to become ready for
eternity (Acts 2:38):
- REPENT. Give what you have done and who you are -
to the Lord. "
Christ
died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6),
and we must repent because the "ungodly"
is you and me! "Sin" is much more than acts we commit. It’s who we
are.
BE BAPTIZED. To be "baptized" is to receive His
death and His life, and stop trying to live on our own. Paul said, "we
were buried with Him through baptism into death"
and "we also should
walk in newness of life"
(Romans 6:4). Water is a picture of your need: You must die to
yourself and come alive in Him.
THANK HIM for His Holy Spirit - to repent and be
baptized (your life for His; His life for yours), is to "receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit"
(Acts 2:38).
Maps and directions are very good and we need them.
The Bible contains the only set of directions that will bring us to God.
The whole Book points to Christ, which informs us He IS the way: " I
am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father, except
through Me" (John
14:6).
In that context, Jesus said " the
Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will
teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to
you" (John 14:25). The
Bible comes ALIVE as the Holy Spirit opens the written Word to our
understanding. And the Lord offers His Word to you and me.
Father, we come to You right now. We repent of who we
are and what we have done. We receive You, Lord Jesus, and ask: Please
send Your Holy Spirit. Let us understand Your Word, and trust in You
now. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.fridaystudy.org
Ron@fridaystudy.org
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