Over the last 50 years, I’ve had what I would call multiple Pentecost experiences. In these experiences, I received a fresh anointing of the oil of God’s Spirit, equipping me to engage a new season. My task was to maintain that anointing by daily seeking God and His calling for me. If I forgot or neglected the power of that anointing, I would not be ready to engage what the Lord had planned for me. 

There are times when we are tempted to quickly read over or even ignore the tedious instructions the Lord gave in the Old Testament on how to build His Temple and attire His priests. What these instructions reveal is the importance that God attached to such instructions.  There is a connection to discover between those ancient instructions and how we are to live a life of faith in this time.

One of those instructions was the command to always bring freshly pressed pure olive oil for the lamps in the Tabernacle, “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually” (Exodus27: 20). The oil would provide light for the place of worship. Without an ongoing supply of fresh oil, the people would look through the cloudy presence and the stench of old and neglected oil.

The Lord continued His instructions, “The lampstand will stand in the Tabernacle, in front of the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant. Aaron and his sons must keep the lamps burning in the Lord’s presence all night. This is a permanent law for the people of Israel, and it must be observed from generation to generation” (Exodus 27:21).

The New Covenant tabernacle of worship is our lives. In that context, too many are living with old oil that is clouding their ability to see the truth. It is also compromising their thinking. The Lord requires fresh oil each day to fill our lives, helping us not become complacent in our faith.

Today, if the oil of your anointing has grown old, it is time to ask the Lord for a fresh supply. Once it comes, we protect it by our obedience and spiritual awareness. We do this so that what the Lord has graciously given to us will maintain its integrity when we encounter situations that can only be navigated when God’s fresh oil has filled our lives, giving us clarity and offering to the world the fragrance of His presence.