The story of God and his people is a love story. He is the bridegroom and we are the bride. In the Song of Solomon, the bride says that the “name of the (groom) is like oil pouring out…”
Consider this as an analogy, to a point, of our relationship with God. The “pouring out” of oil signified the “anointing” that was done in the ancient world. The anointed one was the leader of Israel. Jesus’ name means “the anointed one”!
God’s name, to us his bride, is an anointing. If we simply call on Jesus’ name, and experience the name as the pouring out of oil upon us and anointing us, we shall be blessed. When we are tempted to sin, to do that which first comes into our heart and begs to be done, we can simply call on his name and the anointing oil comes forth.
By this oil we are made “children of god” and heirs to the kingdom. We are not called to be sin free, we are called to be dependent on Jesus, to call his name, when we need his anointing so that we can avoid the sin.
I can feel this often in my own struggles. I purposefully don’t call out his name since I know it will bring about an anointing…I don’t want it (at that time, deep in the bubble of my sin), I want the sin, I want to act out. Yet, this is the very way in which God assures us that there is no sin that we are tempted that is not accompanied by a “way out”…the way out is easy, call for the anointing.
The Mission – Delight today in the name of your Beloved. Let it pour forth from your lips, your mind, and your heart.
———-
Mark K.