Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/2203

2203 Book of Books.... Lamp without oil....

January 5, 1942: Book 31

A lamp without oil is but an empty vessel which does not serve its purpose; it does not emit any light because it lacks the food which the light must constantly receive. Even the Holy Scripture must be judged as a mere book as long as it has no true light-spreading effect, that is, as long as it does not result in spiritual enlightenment.... The Holy Scriptures can truly offer the most profound wisdom for someone who, with absolute faith and a God-inclined heart, desires to draw wisdom from it, thus, as soon as the human being himself proves his hunger for light through this desire. Then the Book of Books will not merely be an empty vessel but become a source of light instead.... The human being's wisdom will increase because he desires food for his spirit and this nourishment turns his inner light into a bright flame whose radiance shines far and wide and can illuminate the darkest night. The Word of God is blessed with His strength and those who may receive the Word from God directly will therefore also constantly be permeated by God's strength. And this strength also flows to a person who accepts the Word with the same depth of feeling where it is made accessible for all people, as long as he desires to accept divine wisdom, as long as his one and only desire is light. For God will satisfy every hunger for His Word, He will give where the desire is present. Thus, the heart must long for spiritual nourishment, then it will be offered in the form of knowledge, for every Word in the Holy Bible will then become clear to the person and this knowledge will please and satisfy him. But how often does a person only read the written Word without allowing it to talk to his heart.... how often does he lack the sense and understanding for what he reads because he fails to pray for the grace of understanding, and then the Book is of no greater value than any other book which merely serves the purpose of passing time. But then the lamp is lacking oil, it is without light and merely an empty vessel which fails to fulfil its purpose, for it does not emit light and therefore cannot illuminate a person's heart either. The Word of God comes to every person who desires it, for God Himself is the Word, and He reveals Himself in the Word in many different ways to anyone who strives towards Him.... He gives him the truth mentally or brings people together and speaks through them, or He addresses them through the Book of Books. But the willingness to receive the divine Word must always be present so that his desires can be granted. Then the spirit of God will always be at work, regardless of how and where the human being receives the divine Word, because the spirit of God can only take effect when the human being's hunger for spiritual nourishment, for light, is evident. This also excludes all error, for even where the latter had occurred through human will, the spirit of God will so guide the person's thoughts that he understands it correctly and thus his knowledge will correspond to the truth. Then his knowledge will resemble a light which brightly shines in all directions and sends its radiance into the darkness. And he may draw upon this knowledge at all times and everywhere.... The spirit of God is always willing to distribute knowledge; wherever a heartfelt desire exists the heart will be nourished, for it is God's will that the human hearts shall become brightly illuminated. It is His will that His Word shall not just be read or listened to on the surface but that it should penetrate deeply, so that it will remain as spiritual knowledge and will be the soul's wealth in eternity one day....

Amen

Translated by Heidi Hanna