Keep the Flame Burning
Command the children of Israel that they bring to you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to make the lamps burn continually. Outside the veil of the Testimony, in the tabernacle of meeting, Aaron shall be in charge of it from evening until morning before the Lord continually; it shall be a statute forever in your generations. Lev. 2&3 NKJV
In temple tradition, priests had to regularly trim the wick of the lampstand to ensure it burned cleanly. If the wick grew too long, the flame would become smoky and unstable – easily snuffed out. The flickering light would indicate that the flame was fed more by the wick (flesh) than by the oil (Spirit).
A Reflection of Our Spiritual Lives
This is a picture of many of our spiritual lives. We start off burning with oil—Spirit-fueled passion and purpose—but without regular surrender and self-examination, our flesh begins to take over. We burn out. We flicker. We smoke. And the light we were meant to shine gets muddied and is easily “snuffed out.”
Trimming the wick is an act of humility, or what I call “a circumcising of the heart.” It means surrendering our will, our need for control, our unyielded areas. It is choosing to let the oil of His love do the work in your life. Let today be a day of trimming—a day of setting aside self-effort to make space for the Spirit to burn brightly in you again.
Closing Prayer
Reflection Questions:
- What signs show up in your life when you’re burning in your own strength?
- What area of your life might need “trimming” right now?
- How can you practically lean more into the Holy Spirit this week?
For more information:
Read: The Pursuit of His Glory: https://lisa-schwarz.com/the-pursuit-of-his-glory/
