Get your own oil

Get your own oil!​

In this post I will be looking at Matthew chapter 25. I will be deep diving into verses one through twelve. This is the familiar story of the ten bridesmaids and the state of their oil reserves. I hope you find it informative, and it drives you into a deeper relationship with God and his Holy Spirit. First, I will give a paraphrase of the verses. Then, I will show you how they apply to your Christian walk.

In Jewish tradition the groom would prepare a place for the marriage feast. After these things were put into order, he would go to the bride’s home. She would be at her parent’s house and the two newly weds could take a long time returning. The bridesmaids would wait for their return to enter the feast. There were ten of these bridesmaids. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish took no oil for their lamps and the wise did bring extra oil. The party must have been held up by the parents because the bridesmaids eventually fell asleep while waiting. In the midnight hour, a cry rand out, “Here’s the bridegroom! Come and meet him!” The virgins woke and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, ours is going out.” The wise replied, “No, there may not be enough for both of us. Go buy some oil.” While they went to buy oil, the bridegroom arrived. The wise ones, the ones who were prepared, went into the wedding feast and the door was shut. The foolish returned and said, “Lord Lord, open the door for us.” He replied, “Truly I tell you; I do not know you.”

Friends, the bridegroom may be taking a while, but He could be here tomorrow. I am convinced He will come in the midnight hours when we are all sound asleep. The oil in this parable represents the Holy Spirit. These virgins needed the Holy Spirit to keep their lights shinning. We need the Holy Spirit to keep our lights shinning in a cold and indifferent world. When you are first saved and become discipled, you enjoy an overflow of oil from your leader. At some point, there must come a time when you get your own oil. Just like the wise told the foolish, sometimes, I feel like saying, “Get your own oil because I do not think I have enough oil for both of us.” I want you to know that you can not buy the oil. You can not work for the oil. You can not get a self-sustaining source of oil from man. Yes, the Holy Spirit is a gift from God. If you ask for the indwelling of the Holy Spirt, you will receive it. After that, it is important to spend time in the secret place, in your prayer closet, cultivating a relationship with you Father. I am telling you, just like in Matthew 25:9, and so many other places in the bible, your greatest fear should be the Lord telling you, “I do not know you.” He wants to know you. He waits patiently for you to schedule an appointment to fellowship with Him. Please take time to get to know your heavenly Father.