PARABLES - WEEK FIVE - DAY TWO
Hello and welcome to your Daily Devos, following our Parables series at 29:11!
Take some time today to read through the provided scriptures, meditate on the lessons we’ve learned this week, and journal your prayers. Have an amazing week, 29:11 Church!
THEME SCRIPTURE:
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
“‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."
- Matthew 25:1-13
TODAY’S PASSAGE:
"I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.'"
- 1 Corinthians 15:50-54
REFLECTION:
Have you ever been in a tough situation where you just wanted it to end? During those moments, your hope might be that the difficulties you face will eventually become easier or disappear entirely. I remember, as a kid, wanting to join the soccer team at my school. The idea of being on a sports team excited me, but there was one problem—I was not very fit at the time. During the tryouts, we had to run a very fast mile to make the team. I managed to run it in seven minutes, which was one of the hardest miles I’ve ever run. For the entire seven minutes, all I could think about was reaching the end. My hope was fixed on the finish line.
As Christians, our hope is also set on the end, but not just any end—the glorious return of Christ. Sometimes, contemplating the end times or the second coming of Christ can feel daunting, even frightening. However, today's passage in 1 Corinthians reminds us that this event is not something to fear but to anticipate with joy. Just as Paul describes, there will come a moment when "the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality," and in that moment, "death has been swallowed up in victory." This is our ultimate hope: that the trials and sufferings of this world will give way to the eternal victory of God’s kingdom.
The parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25 teaches us about being prepared for the coming of the bridegroom—Jesus. It urges us to keep watch, to stay ready, and to have our lamps filled with oil, which symbolizes our faith and readiness. When we look at the end times through this lens, it shifts our perspective from fear to excitement. We are not just waiting for an end; we are eagerly anticipating the fulfillment of God’s promise and the ultimate victory over death and sin.
THOUGHTS TO PONDER:
What do you place your hope in? When you think about the second coming of Christ, does it bring you fear or excitement? Take some time to journal your thoughts on the return of Christ and what this promise means for your faith journey. Reflect on how being prepared spiritually—like the wise virgins—shapes your daily life and decisions.
