PARABLES - WEEK FIVE - DAY THREE
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
1“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ 9 “‘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.’ 10 “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. 11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ 12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ 13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
- Matthew 25:1-13
TODAY’S PASSAGE:
But understand this: “ If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
- Matthew 24:43-44
REFLECTION:
One of the hardest secrets I have ever had to keep in my life was the details of when and where I was going to propose to my then girlfriend, now wife. The problem was not that I couldn’t keep a secret. When it came to the ring thing, I was very comfortable lying to her face about it. Matter of fact we went “ring shopping” a time it two after I had already purchased it to throw her off the track. You see the reason that it was a hard secret to keep was that she did not like to be surprise. It was not her maliciously trying to find out either. She was simply so opposed to surprises in her life that she was practically subconsciously trying to find out all the details. In the end, she only kinda found out. I mostly surprised her.
I think as humans one of our natural tendencies is towards curiosity and discover. This is a fact that can be exacerbated by a lot of peoples distinct dislike of surprise. So I think for many people it is a difficult pill to swallow that we will not know the time or hour that Jesus comes back. There are definitely people out there who are trying. They read through Revelation and try to piece together the timeline, throwing dates out there and seeing if that land. They never do. The Bible specifically tells us in Matthew 24 that the Son of man will come when we least expect him.
This unexpected nature of Christ’s return should be a driving force towards our readiness and preparation. We must always be vigilant in the faith, for we do not know if Christ is coming today, tomorrow, or 1000 years from now. We can try and guess but we will definitely be wrong, so all we can do is prepare.
THOUGHTS TO PONDER:
Ask yourself this, does the unexpected nature of Christs return spur you into action? Where would you be in life if Jesus came back today? Would you be in a good space, or would you be ashamed of the life you are living? Take some time to reflect on these things and journal how you can be prepared for the second coming of Christ.
