Isaiah 61:1-3
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendour.
Ever tried to cook something without oil?
Probably, it will end up getting burnt, dried and stuck - even on a non-stick pan!
So, by our hob, we have a few kinds of oil - olive oil, coconut oil and sunflower - each to their own uses.
The oil, that our Lord Jesus supplies His followers with, is very special and will bring us through any and every situation.
If we've gotten stuck in a pan of our own making or been burned and dried out by hard circumstances, the oil of the Holy Spirit will exchange our sadness for joy.
Yes, we can have joy in the face of grief or trouble, even in the frying pan of pain and hardship, that oil of joy supplied by the Lord will make something special out of it.
Last week I cooked a steak for my best mate, it was her birthday. She likes it well done and even burnt. So I looked up the best way to cook it (watching several YouTubes of famous chefs). They said the trick is to get the pan very hot and to keep turning it in the oil or butter! Then to let it rest.
Perhaps the Lord has you in the hot pan of affliction, you're being turned this way and that, with no respite.
But He will supply the oil of joy to cook it up for His glory - that precious oil of joy - will stop you getting stuck there and you will come out and rest in that oil - a "prime steak" to build up the Body of Christ!
Keep the faith - bath in Jesus' oil of joy. You're not done yet!
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