Are Your Lamps Full? Are Your Wicks Trimmed?
Three words . . . that will change the world as we know it!
“As it was” . . .
. . . in the days of Noah . . . and, likewise . . . in the days of Lot . . .
This alone should give us pause and grab our attention. The disciples asked Jesus many questions. Jesus loves questions. We learn by the questions we ask. They often asked about the signs of His return – what would be the warnings? Jesus never filibustered – He never blocked, nor used debate tactics – He never spun or bloviated any questions or any issues – He was blunt-spoken! He clearly gave them a “heads up”, fully comparing the days of His return to Noah’s and Lot’s because of His love for us.
Just how were they doing life in Noah’s and Lot’s days? Business as usual! They were doing lunch, driving through Starbucks to get their coffee in any flavor they wanted; they were “malling it” taking advantage of sales to get the right outfit to match the shoes they couldn’t do without; they sold homes and bought or built others; they were planting and being sure to eat foods that were GMO and nutritious; they were planning weddings and aggrandizing them with requisites of multiple showers, limousines, and lavish honeymoons; they were marrying, and marrying again; fathers were giving their daughters away to the man of their dreams, and so on and so forth.
Hmmm! Sure sounds like they were being filled with the increase of the earth, living in self-assurance, peace, and tranquility . . . and “in need of nothing” – like the Laodicean Church in Revelation, Chapter 3 – indifferent and lukewarm to the matters of God. While there’s nothing wrong with doing and living life to the fullest (and, by the way, that’s what God wants us to do), there is something wrong if we fail to make the same preparation, the same time, the same effort, and the same detail into our marriage-relationship to Him, the Lamb.
People haven’t changed . . . procrastination is a default position.
Prepared? Five virgins were and five were not, even though there were similarities: they were all together in the same place (church), they were all carrying lamps (Bibles), they all slumbered and slept (weary/lethargic), and all appeared to have an unconscious service and reverence to God (habit versus zeal?) (Matthew 25:1-13)
The difference . . . ?
. . . Five carried the one thing needed for a long, dark night, awaiting,
not knowing the return of the Bridegroom or if He would delay His arrival –
Oil – symbolizing the Holy Spirit, by whom we are known.
Are your lamps full? Are your wicks trimmed?
