MATTHEW 25:1-13 – “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 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.’ 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. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
THEME OF THE DAY: WE WOULD NOT CHANGE A THING. Today’s scripture is the familiar Parable of the Ten Virgins. The lesson Jesus teaches us is not difficult to discern. It is living prepared for the coming of the Lord. It is being wise knowing Jesus is returning but not knowing when.
We make the application that we are to live life with the awareness we are one breath away from seeing Jesus. We know we will meet the Lord. We just don’t know when and it would be so foolish to live each day not thinking about the Day of all Days. To be caught unaware is to be living unprepared.
The ideal position to assume in life is not only like the wise virgins, but also to be constantly living out the exhortation that the Apostle Paul and King Solomon give to us – “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:17) and Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).
What does such a life look like? It is one lived for eternity with spiritual principles guiding all we say and do. It would be a life modeled by John Wesley in the following account:
A lady once asked John Wesley that suppose he were to know that he would die at 12:00 midnight tomorrow, how would he spend the intervening time. His reply: “Why madam, just as I intend to spend it now. I would preach this evening at Gloucester, and again at five tomorrow morning; after that I would ride to Tewkesbury, preach in the afternoon, and meet the societies in the evening. I would then go to Rev. Martin’s house, who expects to entertain me, talk and pray with the family as usual, retire to my room at 10 o’clock, commend myself to my heavenly Father, lie down to rest, and wake up in Glory.”
Oh, to so live each day prepared to meet the Lord, and in such a fashion that we would not need to change a single thing in our lives if we knew that day would be tomorrow!
PRAYER: Father, help me live today as if my next breath would be my last in this world, and I am seeing You.
REFLECTION: Live today as if it is our last day on earth. It might just be.