Symbol of the Holy Spirit: Oil

Have you ever rubbed some essential oil on a dry section of your body or even your hair? Didn’t your skin and hair just illuminated?

In the Bible, oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. When Christians submit themselves to the Holy Spirit, they radiate with love, power, hope, strength, unity, joy, humility, and many other heavenly traits.

Joy

Psalm 45:7 says God anoints us with the oil of joy. Then Isaiah 61:3 tells us that we have the oil of joy for mourning.

When we are led by God’s Spirit, we will have joy no matter what is occurring around us. And we will feel strong, for the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Unity

Oil is also used to describe unity. Psalm 133:1-2 states,

How good and pleasant it is
    when God’s people live together in unity!

It is like precious oil poured on the head,
    running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
    down on the collar of his robe.

God is a God of order; therefore, it is not surprising that He expects for us to live in harmony. Yet unity, along with the other heavenly traits, will escape us if we are not saturated with the oil of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ has anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). Let us receive what the Lord has already made available to us.

Prayer

Father, we accept and surrender to Your Holy Spirit. He is our counselor and comforter, so we obey His gentle voice. Cause us to become oily and slick by His presence in our lives. No longer will we be dry. Fill us with Your Holy Ghost so we can live in harmony and peace. Thank you for hearing us, Father. Now that we are filled with this divine ‘Oil,’ the fire of God will always shine brightly in us in the name of Jesus.