“Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.” (Matthew 25:13, NASB)
Many of my stories are about golf. Here’s one that isn’t. It involves my first wife. In fact, after 53 years, she’s still my only wife! She not only makes me smile, but I do learn from her. She recently called me from the grocery store to tell me that she had mistakenly locked her keys in the car after loading the groceries. My first thought: That is something I would do. My second thought: Yay! I get to go help her and save the day!
I jumped in my car and loaded the dog in the backseat. I rushed to the grocery store (about five minutes away), and as I was pulling into the parking lot, I realized something very important. I was not prepared. I had forgotten the extra set of keys for her car. “I am so sorry. I forgot your keys.” She looked at me and said, “That is just like you. You run to save your heroine and forget the ladder.” My heart was in the right place, but I was not prepared. I was sincere and knew what needed to be done, but I did not prepare properly.
We can learn some valuable lessons about preparedness from the Parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25. We, the church, are the bride of Christ. The bridegroom is Jesus. The ten virgins may be the bridesmaids who have been assisting the bride and expect to meet the bridegroom (Jesus). Each bridesmaid would be responsible to carry her own torch on the way to the bridegroom’s home in anticipation of his coming. The unknown question was when the bridegroom would return home.
The five virgins who have secured the extra oil represent the truly born-again believer. They are not just looking for Christian community; they have a love for Christ which drives them to be prepared for that inevitable day.
Your priorities are not necessarily what you claim they are. Your priorities are what your actions say they are.
The ones without extra oil are more concerned about the party than about seeing the bridegroom. They hope their association with true believers will be enough to get them into the kingdom. When their oil runs out, they ask the ones with the oil to share. Sounds OK at first. We should share with others. But the parable points to the truth that one person’s faith cannot save anyone else. Only Jesus, the bridegroom, can do this.
Each of us must own our individual faith, which is the major part of being prepared. This cannot be borrowed. Jesus wants your preparation to be a unique story to tell the world.
So, how do we prepare now to meet Jesus? It starts with really knowing Jesus. Accept his free gift of grace by faith. Grace is a gift for which we will remain eternally grateful. It is about knowing that Jesus is the only way.
By preparing for Jesus to come, however, we show that it is more than a surface knowledge we desire. We want more of him, and our preparation shows how much of a priority this really is. Your priorities are not necessarily what you claim they are. Your priorities are what your actions say they are. How can you look at your life and see what is the important priority? I have come to believe that you can do this by looking at your checkbook and your calendar and your commitments.
Today is the day to prepare. Invite Jesus to be the Lord of your life now. He may be here tomorrow, so it is wise to prepare today. The bridegroom’s promise is that he is coming back. I can’t think of anything more important to be ready for.
—
Randy Wolff
May 5, 2021
Copyright 2021 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.