My sister and I bought the same car but in different colors. I’m not sure why (except we had different agents), but her deal came with a year’s supply of car care including oil changes. Mine did not, I had to buy it separately. Perhaps her agent was aware of the importance of regular car maintenance and oil changes.

For the most part, oil is good, oil is essential. We use oil for a lot of things like cooking, to smooth things out, and if you’re a believer, to consecrate or anoint people, things etc.

In the Bible, God uses  oil as a representation or symbol of His presence or His Holy Spirit. Whenever someone was anointed with oil, they were consecrated or set apart for God.  For example, after Samuel anointed King David with oil, the bible says that from that day on, the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David (1 Samuel 16:12-13). 

Also, in Matthew 25 Jesus used a parable (as He often did) to teach his followers some Godly principles. In ‘The Parable of the Ten Virgins’, He equated not having oil as being foolish. In this short story, there were five foolish and five wise bridesmaids waiting for the bridegroom. They all took their lamps but only the wise took extra oil to fill their lamps. They all got tired of waiting and fell asleep. At midnight, he arrived and the five foolish ones realized they weren’t ready. There wasn’t enough oil for them so they headed out to buy their own. When they were ‘ready’ (after buying oil), they knocked but we’re not let in because the bridegroom did not know them. They were caught busy doing what should’ve already been done and therefore missed their calling or entrance. Although they attempted to get ready, it was too late for them. 

This parable teaches us that any day could be someone’s last day on earth. This is why it is important to stop putting off our salvation and relationship with God by making excuses, like waiting for the right time or waiting to be “ready”. 

It also teaches us that we can’t always shine using someone else’s light, reap someone else’s harvest or reap what we haven’t sown. In other words, there are certain things that no one can do for us, we are accountable for ourselves. We can’t always depend on someone else’s prayers and never pray and seek God for ourselves. Fellowship and relationships with other believers is all good. But let this not be the only time we read our bibles or talk to God. What we do the rest of the week matters just as much, if not more.

I couldn’t use my sister’s car care plan to get an oil change, it wasn’t in my contract, I had to buy my own. In the same way the foolish girls in the parable realized that their lamps didn’t light themselves but they needed their own oil to keep their lamps burning.  Since they couldn’t use the other’s oil, and because oil isn’t free, they had to go pay a price for it. Thank God that for our sake, Jesus already paid a price so that we can have a personal relationship with Him. The only price that we pay is our daily sacrifice of putting Him first, seeking His Holy Spirit and learning more about Him.

The midnight hour will always come, and when it does, each person has to draw from whatever they have stored. What have you stored up for the midnight hour? When what you’re praying for or waiting on hasn’t arrived, when no one else is around, what are you drawing from? Who are you calling on? Let us be careful that we do not get tired of doing good and fall asleep. Let’s not get caught on empty while in the dark. 

We always need a fresh anointing, a fresh wind and revival from God. Now it is not in our own strength, The Holy Spirit is our helper. We need to remain in Him for apart from Him, we can do nothing. 

Let’s diligently seek Him for He is our source and our strength.