Devotional

“But the wise answered saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you: but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’” — Matthew 25:9

In Matthew 25:1-13, Jesus gave the parable of the ten virgins to illustrate what the kingdom of God will be like and to teach the importance of preparation. Five were described as foolish and five as wise. They were all waiting to meet the Bridegroom, and at midnight, when the cry was heard that the bridegroom was coming, they all got up and prepared their lamps to go and meet him.

Unfortunately, the foolish virgins did not have enough oil for their lamps because they had not taken extra oil with them. So, they asked the wise virgins to share some of their oil with them. The wise virgins refused and instead told them to go and buy some for themselves.

While they were gone, the bridegroom arrived. The five wise virgins, who were prepared, went in with him to the wedding celebration, and the door was shut. When the foolish virgins eventually returned and knocked on the door, the bridegroom told them that he did not know them, and they missed the celebration.

The five were wise because they prepared for a future they had not yet seen. They did not only think about the present moment. They knew the Bridegroom was coming, and they prepared themselves for His arrival.

The foolish virgins, on the other hand, only thought about the moment. They had no preparation for tomorrow. They were thinking about today, the now, and not tomorrow. Even though they knew the Bridegroom was coming, they did not see the need to prepare themselves for His arrival, and when He came, they missed the wedding celebration.

This teaches us that it is not enough to simply identify as a child of God. We must continually work out our faith with fear and trembling. We need our own relationship with God. We need our own prayer life. We need to know His Word for ourselves and develop a genuine relationship with the Holy Spirit.

By continuously seeking the face of God through Bible study, fellowship, prayer, praise and worship, and daily dependence on His mercy, we build the spiritual capacity we need to stand firm when temptation comes. Having that spiritual foundation also puts us in a better position to face whatever life throws at us and gives us the strength to overcome.

More importantly, our walk with God and our continual preparation keep us ready for the ultimate appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The question is: Are you prepared?