Devotion 11.07.26

Matthew 25

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

1“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps[a] and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."

Be prepared, because we do not know the day nor the hour Christ will return. 

Hurricane season on the Gulf Coast is over now, but it is one that always speaks of preparedness. Do you have the things in place to survive a Category 5 hurricane or a lower category that sits and dumps rain (Houston in 2017 which received a year's worth of rain in a couple of days for example - about 48" of rain).

It's hard to believe that was the life I led for 40 years, from birth to age 40. My dad was a hurricane junky. He would get the weather maps provided by a local station - KPRC and follow and track coordinates of every hurricane that started in the Atlantic or Gulf and moved toward the US. As they got closer to Houston, he'd break out the material to begin getting prepared: jugs for water; boxes to put in items in case we decided to move to higher ground; kerosene for the lanterns we had in the house; and a few other items, food stuffs, and dry goods. 

Christ today is talking of preparation much like hurricane prep, but this prep is continuous throughout life. When Christ returns, we would like to be ready for the return. What does preparation look like?

Being a child of God, a bride of Christ's first and foremost. Being a baptized believer is primary in prep. Being a man of prayer and in his Word is another area. Life in prayer puts us in a great mindset as we go throughout our daily walk and being in his Word helps us as we confront issues and temptations from every angle. Another way to prepare is to not allow Satan into your mind and become discouraged. "I'm not worthy of Christ" or "I've done things I'll never be forgiven for" are great cracks in the armor to allow Satan a foothold. To think or believe that I am not able to be forgiven means we are not hearing God's message of grace and mercy. Guilt moves us to ask for forgiveness, but shame puts us to seeking earthly remedies for our forgiven sin. 

Pray with me: Gracious God, Thank you for giving me your Word and for hearing my prayer. Help me to know you are there at all times, and help me to pray and hear your Word daily in order to be prepared. Help me to live every day with a sense of urgency in order that I share the good news of grace, mercy and forgiveness with others, so that they may be prepared as well. Amen.