Pour Out Your Oil

           There’s a parable in Matthew 25 about 5 wise virgins and 5 foolish virgins that were going out to meet the bridegroom. Now the wise virgins brought extra oil for their lamps so that they would have enough oil/light to travel to the bridegroom. The foolish virgins had no extra oil. When the cry came that the bridegroom was coming the foolish virgins asked the wise virgins for them to spare some of their oil but they said no go buy some for yourselves lest we not have enough. So the foolish virgins went to buy some and the wise were able to go into the bridegroom. When the foolish virgins tried to get in they were denied entry. Now ultimately this parable is about the Lord coming when we do not know the hour and for us to be ready when he does. I’d like to look at it a little differently. See Matthew 25:1-13 for this biblical account.

So the oil represents God’s word. We hold it until we’re called to speak in essence to pour out the oil. Pour out your word to God and to others. Your light will shine. Shine your light into the lives of others.

Pour out your oil into the chosen vessel. The lantern represents the person you are sent to give a word of God to. The foolish virgins are those who have been given the word of God but don’t take it in. Kind of like the parable of the sower where the word falls on the rocky ground or is choked with thorns. The foolish virgins are those who know God on a surface level but don’t study themselves worthy of their calling. Therefore they can’t pour out the word to others because they themselves are empty. This is much like the call to the bridegroom, the foolish virgins were happy to hear that the bridegroom had come but had no oil to get to their destination. It’s much like someone who hears the word and lets it fall by the wayside. They don’t have enough of the word to last for the journey of life.

            Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Ephesians 4:1 NKJV

The disciples asked Jesus why he spoke in parables. Jesus replied,

“Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. Matthew 13:11-12 NIV

This is much like the wise and foolish virgins. The wise virgins will be given more of God’s word and will take it in and pour it back out. While the foolish virgins even what little they do have will be taken from them.

The wise virgins have the word and use wisdom on who to pour it out on. Where do you find yourself today? Are you the foolish virgin or the wise virgin? I feel as though I’m in between. I’m so close to being that wise virgin but if I take a step back I’m foolish. It is foolish. I keep looking back at my old life and trying to do new things with an old mindset. Lord please transform and renew my mind and the minds of those reading this. It’s time to look forward to the eyes of the bridegroom, my Savior and go into the marriage feast and embrace my new life completely and let go of the old.

I have a new name, beloved, I am cherished by my Lord and I will no longer bear the shame of my old life for the new has come.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

 

I can just embrace it, I can step into it and I am free. You can’t put new wine in old wineskin it would burst, it’s time to let go of the old wineskin and take on the new and let God pour into my life. I used to live a life of scarcity. Abundance has come. There is fruit on the vine. I can feast and be fed, no longer starving for the world’s affection. I am cherished, beloved, precious. It’s not about what I do it’s about who I am. It’s about whose I am. It’s about what Jesus has done. It’s about who he is and who he says I am.

What new beginning can you embrace today?

I’m here.

I’m listening.

Genuinely Yours,

Amy Z