Trim the Wick

Before electricity the only light available in the night came from either a candle or an oil lamp. Constantly caring for the lamp would involve trimming the wick which draws the oil up from the storage reservoir, so the flame would be clean and bright. A poorly trimmed wick on either a candle or an oil lamp creates a flame which is dim and smokey.

Years ago, when my mum was at the end of her life, God strongly prompted me one day to share the freedom that I had received from Jesus with her. I’ve never forgotten the four words my mum whispered to me in that moment. She said, “I have been watching”.

She became a child of God that day and I had the privilege of preparing her to meet Jesus.

As the body of Christ, we are called to shine bright and clean before the people God places around us, so that, as we serve the Lord, Jesus is visible in us. My heart has grieved for all the times that, because of the brokenness in me, I wanted people to see the good works that I did for the Lord so they would recognise me. But as deep healing and truth has come into the inmost place, my focus has turned away from myself to Him, His Kingdom and His plans and purposes.

In Matthew 25 Jesus is teaching us what the kingdom of heaven will look like just before He returns. He likens those days to ten virgins who take their lamps to go out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and ill-prepared, for they took no extra oil for their lamps. Five of them were wise, for they took flasks of oil with their lamps. When the shout came in the middle of the night to announce the imminent arrival of the bridegroom, the foolish virgins were forced to go out to try to find some oil to buy, but while they were gone the bridegroom returned. The wise virgins were invited into a great wedding banquet, but the foolish ones came back to find their access denied, despite pleading at the door. Jesus teaches that, for this reason, we are to always stay awake and be alert, because we don’t know the day or the hour when the Bridegroom will appear (Matthew 25:1-13).

My mum didn’t have years to prepare to meet Jesus, but the intentional time we had together was sufficient. Her lamp had enough oil and she was ready.

In order to be wise, we must seek wisdom through the word, not the world.

Worldly wisdom does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic (James 3:15).

The wisdom that comes from God is pure (James 1:17), and through it (trimming our wick) we will draw oil from the storage reservoir, the Holy Spirit in us, and burn bright and clean before others, so they too can know the privilege of glorifying our heavenly Father.

Prayer: I thank you for your word today Father. I welcome You to reveal Yourself to me in such a way that I would know You more intimately, shining brilliantly to the world around me so that You will be seen and glorified. I ask in this in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.