Let the Oil Flow -
What to do While You Wait

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I have all that I need. You honor me by anointing my head with oil.” Psalm 23:1, 5b NLT

There is a chapter in my book called “What am I Doing?” and it starts by telling how this chapter came to be. I woke up one morning reciting Psalms 23 verbatim, when the Lord revealed exactly what He desired this chapter to be. There were 3 points He revealed to me for the book, but for the purpose of today’s discussion, allow me to adjust to what He is saying for us today.

When we look at Psalms 23, David is writing as the shepard-king submitting to the Kingship of the Lord. It is a love letter of sorts, and gives us a look into the intimate relationship between David and God: the provider and the protector.

Can I teach Bible for a minute?
In 1 Samuel 16 - David is overlooked because he was the youngest and his job was tending sheep. If you’ve ever encountered a sheep’s enclosure, you’d know that it’s quite dirty and the scent is equally unpleasant. David walks in to this gathering of his father, all his brothers and the prophet Samuel smelling of sheep, presenting not as a king, but as a shepherd.

And still, he’s anointed with oil.

Why would God select David, a shepherd, as the next king of Israel? May I suggest that God knew that David’s experience as shepherd would translate well as he is being prepared for the throne? How does the role of a shepherd qualify David to be king?

A good shepherd is a provider, and a protector, and He prepares His sheep for their daily journey. Sheep require constant protection, because they tend to wander off, so the shepherd uses their rod to guide the flock back into line as they continue to move.

A good shepherd tends to his flock by feeding, herding, and guarding his sheep from predators. This person is responsible for comforting and healing injured sheep while nursing them back to health.

A good shepherd provides for his sheep because he understands what his flock needs. He prevents the flock from fighting each other and keeps them on the move so they don’t run into a rut.

Finally, a good shepherd will pour oil on the sheep’s head and its nose and ears to protect them from pests or any other irritants the sheep my experience during the day.

David, the shepherd, is anointed with oil.

What does all of this have to do with waiting? I’m getting there...stay with me.

I love to give the context of a subject, because once you understand the foundation, it brings the story to life and helps with life application.
David is anointed with oil.

To produce GOOD oil, it must go through a process:

In the historical and biblical context, oil was produced in 2 major steps: first by crushing the olives using a crushing stone then collected into a basket. Once that process had been completed, the second step was to press the basket with force, extracting the oil out of the crushed olives and collecting the juice into a storing vat.

You think I’m still talking about olives and the pressing process, but I’m talking about you!
You’re in the waiting stage - waiting for something to happen. Waiting for the next move. The more you wait, the more you feel like nothing is happening. The more you wait, the more you feel like you’re being crushed and pressed on every side. You’ve become an expert time keeper! “Lord, I’ve been waiting for x amount of months/years!” The longer it takes, the more questions you have - How much longer? When will it be my turn? What else do you want from me? What more do I have to do?

Can I give you some peace for your journey? Allow me 2 points to help you while you wait:

1. Trust the process - God is preparing you for your next level. David waited 15 years before he could actually ascend to the throne. In the meantime, he served Saul, and he killed a bear, a lion, and Goliath. If he had gone from the sheeps pen straight to kingship, maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t have been one of the most battle tested kings in biblical history. God is more concerned with His timing than He is concerned with your turn. The process isn’t meant to destroy you, but it’s meant to prepare you.

The Bible says, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.” Your pain has purpose. Trust the process.

2. Let the oil flow - if it weren’t for the crushing and the pressing, I wouldn’t be standing here today talking about this book. Do you think I wanted to air out my dirty laundry and tell the world about my struggles and how long I’ve been waiting? To tell people about the emotional trauma I’ve endured or all the hurt and pain I had to recall in order for God to get the glory out of it all? 

The oil isn’t for you to keep to yourself, but it’s for the people you’re meant to serve. It’s for God’s glory. He knows the end from the beginning, and knows the time He needs to prepare you for your assignment.

The oil requires total submission and surrender to God. It requires crushing. It requires you to be pressed. When the oil flows, God gets the glory. When the oil flows, lives are changed forever. When the oil flows, it fills the room with the aroma of worship.

Precious one, let the oil flow! I know it doesn’t feel good, but it’s working for your good. Don’t allow your oil to become stagnant, but let it flow. Use your oil to light someone else’s way. Don’t hoard it, but let it flow. Go forth anointed and empowered. Embrace the crushing. 

Be the vessel: God pours and you release for someone else. Be the vessel of destiny, the living testament to the power of an anointing that knows no end.

I pray that you won’t run away from the assignment on your life. Yes, waiting can be a rough journey, but I pray you find the beauty in it. I pray that the oil on your life will help to illuminate your steps bringing you that much closer to your destiny.

Lord, we ask that you allow us to be vessels of destiny, the living testimony to the power of unlimited anointing. Give us the grace to see beyond the horizon of our limited vision. Help us to be patient and to nurture our faith, find strength in the stillness, and wisdom in the silence. Lead us wherever the path may bring us. Give us the courage to follow You, even when the way is dim and the path doesn’t seem clear.

And when the answer is revealed and our prayers are illuminated, we will give all the glory right back to you! We know that you will make all things beautiful in the fullness of time. We trust You.