"As for you, the anointing [the special gift, the preparation] which you received from Him remains [permanently] in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you. But just as His anoint teaches you [giving you insight through the presence of the Holy Spirit] about all things, and is true and not a lie, and just as His anointing has taught you, you must remain in Him [being rooted in Him, knit to Him].
In 2008, when Rob was being ordained, one of our pastors in the interview process pulled us aside after the formalities. I’ll never forget it. He looked in the eyes and said “You guys have the anointing. It’s all over both of you.” I was still fairly new to AG-speak and really had no idea what he meant, but the intensity with which he said it has stuck with me. Also, it felt preposterous that he said it to us as a couple, not just Rob as a ministry candidate. Up until that point, I thought anointing involved oil and beards; limited to the Old Testament.
Thanks to Facebook, I actually have a photo from that day! 🙂
This past Sunday, I spent an hour on Zoom with a dear friend, Heather, recording for her podcast. (The conversation will be published later this summer.) In our discussion, Heather inquired about my writing process and I clumsily tried to articulate: the Holy Spirit speaks to me through my pen. I’ve learned to listen with ink – assuming whatever He speaks will be important enough to write down.
This morning, on my fifth read-through of this scripture this week, I fixated this term – the anointing. John described it as a lingering gift and teacher. My personal experience echoes exactly. The Holy Spirit seems to have anointed me for listening and proclamation. He teaches quietly and I write it down. This doesn’t limit me to His teaching; I can listen and receive from others, but I do test everything with Him. I endeavor to hear His voice the loudest.
It’s truly amazing to me that all those years ago – long before I started studying, listening and writing, the Lord sent someone to call out a seed He sowed in me. I was really blessed by this text today. The Holy Spirit is our best teacher and He can give us a special measure of anointing for understanding and expression. We can trust His leadership in our lives.
"Now it is God who establishes and confirm us [in joint fellowship] with you in Christ and who has anointed us [empowering us with the gifts of the Spirit], it is He who has also put a seal on us and certified us [as His] and given us the [Holy] Spirit in our hearts as a pledge [like a security deposit to guarantee the fulfillment of His promises of eternal life." (2 Corinthians 1:21-22 AMP)
Lord, today we thank You for Your anointing, a gift that comes before we can comprehend it. It is such a precious thing to be taught from the inside out. We are grateful for the understanding Your Spirit offers. Thank You also for the folks who recognize this gift of God and call it out. Please help us learn to pay attention when You speak, through Your Word and through others. Teach us to test our revelations against scripture. May Your voice remain the loudest in our lives. Amen.