One of my favorite things to eat is artisan bread dipped in olive oil, with a hint of cracked pepper and salt. Yumm! Speaking of oil, on a completely different note, when I was pregnant with my son Gabriel, I developed a rash on my skin and had to rub and smear oil all over my body in an effort to stop itching. Stay with me folks, I’m going somewhere…lol!
In the one instance oil had been dipped into, in the other instance desperate times called for desperate measures so the oil was smeared all over me.
In the critical times we’re living in, just being dipped in the oil won’t do, we must be smeared and soaked with the Oil from Heaven.
The word OIL & ANOINTING in Hebrew is maschach: מָשַׁח -maw-shakh’ which is defined as:
To smear, anoint, spread, paint, wipe or stroke with the hand
When we’ve used oil to pray for people, it’s usually a little dab. During Biblical times, the anointing oil was smeared, spread and rubbed over the individual until every part of his/her body was completely drenched in the oil.
Isn’t that what we want as well? To be drenched with the oil of His Spirit? I’m not satisfied with just a little dab or a dip. We need and long for His maschach – His oil – to saturate every part of our mind, body and soul. That is when His oil will take us places we never could go with our own might and power. We need His Spirit, His oil resting on us and flowing through us that will heal the sick, the broken and bring the lost back home.
Zechariah 4:6 So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.
Might signifies self made strength and power signifies man’s ability. God desires for us to be a people of His Spirit – drenched in His oil – manifesting His heart in the world around us.
2 Samuel 1:21
“O mountains of Gilboa, Let not dew or rain be on you, nor fields of offerings; For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.
When I read the above scripture about Saul, I thought how sad that in spite of being a chosen king, Saul was killed in his final battle with no oil on his shield. I believe the measure we fulfill our destiny is in direct proportion to the oil upon our lives.
The oil represents the Presence of Jesus. When His oil is on our speech, we don’t have to say many words to change the atmosphere.
When His oil is on our confession of faith, mountains will be removed and cast into the sea.
When His oil is on our hearts, the way we love and do relationships will be different!
When His oil is flowing unhindered in our lives, there’s no striving, proving and competing to fulfill God’s destiny upon our lives. The oil of His Presence brings rest, ease and favor.
The anointing oil of His Spirit empowers and strengthens us to be faithful in the small and do mighty exploits in His name. Just like that Amex commercial said, “don’t leave home without it,” we can’t leave home without His oil and we can’t live a day without the fresh smearing and spreading of His oil on our hearts. That is when our shadows will be dangerous. That is when the church will no longer look to the world to be influenced by, but rather we will be under the influence of His Spirit and the world will take notice and want what we are carrying!
Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners.”
