The Lamp, Oil, & Light
“You shall charge the sons of Israel, that they bring you clear oil of beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually.” (Exodus 27:20, New American Standard Bible). I believe that we, as Christians, are like that lamp. We need the oil of the Holy Spirit to cause the Light of Jesus Christ to shine from us, and to keep our lamps burning continually.
In Matthew 5:16, Jesus said to let our light shine before others in such a way that they would see our good works, and glorify our Father Who is in Heaven. What exactly is this light? John 1:9 tells us that Jesus is the true Light that came into the world to enlighten everyone. Therefore, this light that is supposed to shine out of us is not a thing, but a Person...The God-Man, Jesus Christ. “[And] God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:6-9, NASB)
We know that the Light (Jesus Christ) shines in darkness, and the darkness does not overpower the Light (see John 1:5). But I wonder if the same could be said of our lights that are supposed to be shining out of us on to others. When troubles come our way, how do we keep our lights shining? After all, when the pressures and frustrations of life gather over us like storm clouds, it is so easy for our lights to dim.
We saw in Exodus 27:20 that the lamp needed oil for it to burn continually. It’s the same with us. We’re just lamps in need of oil...Earthen vessels in need of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling. Praise the Lord that when His Spirit is in us, He illuminates us, and empowers us, so that our lights shall shine continually and not be overpowered by any darkness!
Charles Spurgeon gave some wonderful advice when he said, “Meet the difficulty in the Lord’s strength, and glorify Him in it.” Yet I feel that we fail to consistently do this. It shouldn’t be this way, though, when we have all the power that we need...the very Spirit of God dwelling within us! Therefore, we need to say to our giants as David said to Goliath, “The battle is the Lord’s! He will give us the victory so everyone will know that there is a God.” Fully relying upon and using His power not only does us good, but it sets an example for the people around us. They see that our faith in Jesus Christ is a real thing when we don’t lose heart. They see that His Word is true when the storms of life don’t destroy us, but we walk through them, shining on. That causes others to desire God and the strength only He can give to their weak and weary souls.
I pray that when others look at us Christians that they will find our lamps burning continually, filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit, shining the Light of Jesus Christ. I also pray that we will always “look unto God, and be radiant; that our faces will never be ashamed.” (Psalm 34:5, NASB)