Recently I was reading one of my favorite devotional
books. It is "Memoirs and Remains
of Robert Murray McCheyne" by Andrew Bonar. They were dear friends and
co-laborers in the Lord's vineyard in the early to mid 1800's. They were, along with several others, to bring
revival to Scotland. McCheyne was often sick and laid low and subsequently.died an
early death.
As I was reading, the Lord had me draw both an arrow and
then a golden lampstand. I was not sure
why. Later that day I read this passage
from Bonar about his friend. "It
seems to be part of the Lord's dealing with him, thus to teach him to persevere
in duty and in faith, even when there is no obvious success. The arrow that was yet to wound hundreds was
then receiving its point; but it lay in the quiver for a time. The Lord seemed
to be touching his own heart and melting it."
They were words I needed to read. The Lord's dealing with His servants to
sharpen the arrow for usefulness at times means being still inside the quiver.
Jeremiah 51:10-11 says "The Lord has brought about our vindication; come,
let us declare in Zion the work of the Lord our God. Sharpen the arrows! Take up the
shields!". Is this not what God does so that when he releases us we can
strike true?
Then I remembered the lampstand was part of the tabernacle used by Israel during their wanderings in the desert. The golden lampstand was made to be used in
the tabernacle. It was the only source of light and it stood to the side before
the Holy of Holies. It's light was from
pure olive oil lit in six cups - three on each side of the lampstand. Not only was it the "Only Source of
Light" but it was a physical reminder, a shadowing of the true light -
Jesus Christ. The light was to burn
continually before the Lord day and night without end. Jesus said in John 8:12 "I am the Light
of the World.". We are told in Revelation 22:5 "and night will be no
more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their
light..."
The oil that was to be used was to be "pure beaten
olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn (Ex.
27:20)."
Oh how much I want to have a sharp point, to be an arrow
honed for useful purposes. I desire to be beaten and purified that my oil would
be used by God to light a perpetual flame - to burn brightly in the
darkness, to stand continually in His
presence, to always serve, and to light the way for others to find Jesus in the
Holy of Holies.
McCheyne wrote a hymn about the oil in the lamp. Here is part of the hymn - Oil for the
Lamp. "Learn here, my child, how
vain this world, with all it's lies: Those who the Kingdom gain Alone are truly
wise. How vain the Christian name, if
still you live in sin: A lamp amid wick and flame, No drop of oil within! Is your lamp filled, my child, with oil from
Christ above? Has He your heart, so
wild, made soft and full of love."
Shaped, Sharpened, and Sent to fly - Beaten, Bruised, and
Beautified to Burn. The Arrow and the
Oil.
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