At midnight someone announced, “The bridegroom is coming!
Come and meet him!” Then all the girls woke up. They made their lamps ready.
But the foolish girls said to the wise girls, “Give us some of your oil. The
oil in our lamps is all gone.” The wise girls answered, “No! The oil we have
might not be enough for all of us. But go to those who sell oil and buy some
for yourselves.” So the foolish girls went to buy oil. While they were gone,
the bridegroom came. The girls who were ready went in with the bridegroom to
the wedding feast. Then the door was closed and locked. Matthew 25:6-10
Recently an old friend of mine, who lives quite a distance
from me, came for a three day visit. I was so happy we were going to get to see
each other. It had been a long time.
The week before she was scheduled to come, I started getting
ready. I went shopping for food. I made sure the house was tidy and clean. I
put clean sheets on the bed she would be using. I made two signs that said,
“Welcome Linda!” The day that she came, I was prepared. I wanted her to feel
comfortable and pampered while she was here.
The other day, while sitting on my back porch and talking to
God, I asked, “When are you coming, Lord?” Of course I knew He would not answer
because, as the Bible says in Matthew 24:36, “No one knows when that day or
time will be. The Son and the angels in heaven don’t know when it will be. Only
the Father knows.” But, I also entertained the idea of, “What if it were
today?”
Would I be ready for the Lord to come right now, or would I
need to get ready like I did for my friend, Linda? Would I need to clean some
things out of my life that would be displeasing to Him? If He knocked at my
door, would I gladly welcome Him, or would I have to say, “Wait a minute while
I do a few things?” Would I be like the foolish virgins in Matthew 25, who did
not take extra oil for their lamps, and when the bridegroom came, they had left
to get more oil? They were unprepared and missed their chance.
I went to a gathering recently, where a place was set at the
table for Jesus. They had a full plate of food as if He were there. I have to
say that it made me very uncomfortable. First, my back was to Him, which seemed
all wrong. Second, I could hardly eat just thinking of the idea of, what if He
truly was there? Even though I knew He was not physically there, I knew He was
right there in my life, so He definitely was there. I was overwhelmed.
Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I asked Him into my life many
years ago. The blood that He shed, cleanses me from all my unrighteousness. He
anoints my head with oil, so my lamp is continually lit. The only good in me is
Him and He makes me ready.
Getting prepared for God means giving your heart, soul, and
mind to Him. That is the essential step to getting ready for Him. We must ask ourselves this question, “Am I
ready for the company of God Almighty?”
Dear Savior,
Only through your blood can we be ready for
you. Thank you for that gift.
Amen
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