The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Oil
Earlier this year, I was having a conversation with my husband and he was explaining to me the organizational processes of the company he works for. To know me is to know my head is always in the clouds, so when my husband starts speaking technically, I smile and nod, and try my best to keep up. As he was speaking, he stated, “the squeaky wheel gets the oil” and that immediately stuck out to me. I asked him to elaborate, and he stated that in his industry, he’s realized that in order to get the opportunities needed to get to the next level, he has to ask for them. As a Black man, he does not benefit from membership in “good ole boys club”, where nepotism and privilege are common vehicles to success. Although he has made great strides within his career, he has had to advocate for himself, by himself, for much of the way. Because of this, he has learned to stay ahead of the curve by asking plenty of questions, identifying next steps, and then asking for resources that align with those steps.
He stated that the people who are willing to ask for what they require, and who are humble enough to continue to ask, are those who realize success. As he shared that nugget of wisdom, I felt the Holy Spirit activate. I did a little dance right there in our garage. My thoughts immediately went to Luke 11:9. In the beginning of the chapter, Jesus is teaching his disciples to pray what we now know as the Lord’s Prayer. He continues to emphasize the power of prayer in versus 5-8 by sharing an illustration of a hungry person who goes to a friend’s house at midnight seeking loaves of bread. He says that even if the friend calls out from his bedroom that he is unwilling to help because of the late hour, if the hungry person keeps knocking long enough, the friend eventually will get up and give whatever is needed. In verse 9, Jesus continues by saying “So I say to you, ask and keep on asking, and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking, and you will find; knock and keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.”
I love this scripture in the Amplified version because instead of resting in the command to “ask and ye shall receive”, we are challenged to keep asking, keep seeking and keep knocking.
As I continued to ponder this, another passage came to mind (As you come along this blog/devotional journey with me, you’ll soon realize that Scripture is coded into my brain. Where others think in movie quotes or music lyrics, I think in Scripture! Lol). In Luke 18, Jesus is continuing to instruct His disciples to be steadfast in prayer. While doing so, He shares a parable about a widow who goes before an unjust judge, seeking justice from an enemy. Because the judge was unjust, he initially refused her pleas, yet the widow was relentless. Although the Bible says that he was a judge that did not fear God nor reserve respect for mankind, he eventually grew tired of her persistence and granted her request. Jesus uses this parable to draw parallel to God, who actually is The Just Judge, and Who will move on behalf of his children speedily, when asked. Jesus sums up this passage by asking his disciples if He will find the same persistent faith on earth when He returns.
My son, Reid, has a red wagon that he loves, but over time, one of the wheels became incessantly squeaky. It got so bad that I began to dread taking him for a ride in it. Eventually I reached my threshold and gave it a good spray with WD-40, which satisfied all parties. Everytime a wheel squeaks, it is essentially asking to be oiled. A squeaky wheel is not concerned about looking desperate, and is not too proud to try and hide its need. In this same vein, Jesus asks us to keep on asking. The same Person who grants our requests also encourages us to make them. Your requests won’t bother The One who asks to be asked. It’s impossible. Your seeking will never be in vain when you rely on He who answers to the name Jireh. You can’t knock too hard or too long on The Door who is always ready to welcome you.
Keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking, keep squeaking, and watch the oil flow.
Prayer: Jesus, you created the heavens and the earth, and yet you care about every one of my needs. I come before you today and ask you to grant the desires of my heart. Even those desires that I am afraid to verbalize, yet nonetheless squeak before you. Please help me to trust your heart and internalize that You desire me to ask, seek, knock, and depend on you. Please let the oil of your anointing flow over me Holy Spirit, and lubricate the dry places, so that I may function well.
In Your Mighty Name,
Amen.
