Oil Check

Isa.40:³¹ “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (KJV, with emphasis).

When is the last time you serviced your car? Do you keep regular car servicing appointments or are you one of those that does not even know that the car should be serviced? You cannot just be using the car and not care about getting the oil changed or about servicing the car. Servicing the car or checking the oil is not optional, it is necessary. Putting oil in your car is lubricating it, making things work effortlessly. The oil is like the anointing, the unction. Serving God and not being anointed is laborious. But when you are anointed, when you have the unction, regardless of the capacity in which you are serving, everything would be smooth and easy. Trying to function when you are out of unction, makes you malfunction.

A woman complains to her husband about a strange sound she hears coming from the car engine. After she describes the sound, the alarmed husband asks her how long she has been hearing it. “For about a week and a half” she says, “And you have been driving it all this time?” the husband asks. By the time they went to the garage to have a look at the car, the engine was kaput. How can you be hearing strange sounds coming from your car engine and you are still driving it around without checking it out? God will forgive you! Similar to what happens to the car engine without oil, you cannot just be doing life without checking your oil. You cannot continue to do life without getting renewed. David tells us that if the Lord is our shepherd, He will restore our souls.

If the Lord is your shepherd, He will meet your spiritual needs. However, it is important to note that this goes beyond resting. While resting is good and there is a place for resting, this goes beyond resting. You can rest but your soul is still not restored. You can go on vacation and you come back even more tired than you left. You can take three weeks off and return looking like you have been in a boxing match. The reason is, resting does not necessarily lead to restoration of soul. It is the Lord that restores the soul. You know that you can rest outside God, right? But it takes God to restore your soul. It is God that actually brings the freedom!

The word restore also means renew. “…they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength…” [with emphasis]. It is not just about resting, it is about waiting on God. Fasting is an opportunity to wait on God and allow Him to renew your strength. Waiting on God is like going for servicing; your plugs are changed, you get fresh oil and by the time you are done, you are ready for a new level.

Prayer: Father, restore my soul and anoint my head with Your oil, in Jesus Name. Amen!