Good morning and welcome in everyone. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
A coal miner has always had a very dangerous job. He needed to have a really good light to find his way through the dark mine passages, but until 1815 they would use candles, which was a great danger because it could ignite mixtures of methane gas that lingered in the mine, known as minedamp. They needed a safe light to guide their path in the darkness.
In approximately 1816, Sir Humphry Davy created an invention that is claimed to have saved as many as 500,000 lives worldwide. It is a wick lamp where the flame is enclosed inside of a mesh screen. He learned that a flame wouldn’t penetrate the mesh and couldn’t ignite the explosive gas in the mines. He had created a safety lamp, to guide miners through the numerous dangers underground.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
The Word of God is our lamp to safely guide us through the dangers of this dark world.
Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
The davy lamps were originally fueled by heavy vegetable oil and they needed to make sure that they were filled up and ready to go as they ventured out into the darkness.
Matthew 25:1-13 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
A man who ran out of oil, ran out of light to guide him in the coal tunnels. There are many people out in the world today that are very similar to the five foolish virgins, living their lives without the oil of God’s Word. We are supposed to let God’s light shine, but how is that possible if you run out of fuel? Scriptures provide the gas that we need, to light the flame, so that we can see where God wants us to go. It gives us the answers, so that we can become pleasing to God and do His will, rather than our own. Having His Word in your heart is like having batteries in a maplight, so that you can see the map in front of you.
Proverbs 6:23 – For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
John the Baptist was completely filled up with the Word of God, and preached to the people.
John 5:33-35 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.
There were people who wouldn’t listen to John the baptist preach, just as others wouldn’t listen to our blessed Lord Jesus preaching God’s Word. Like the foolish virgins, they weren’t getting filled up on scriptural truth. It still continues today when people profess to be religious but can’t even see where they are going because they reject biblical truth that leads to conversion and doing the will of God from our hearts. Sometimes trying to help others grow in scripture can be like trying to talk to a brick wall. But when the blind follow the blind, both end up in the ditch. They are without understanding and spiritual comprehension because of their own unbelief. They blind themselves to the truth, and are lamps without any oil.
Matthew 13:13-15 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Certainly, there were many people who rejected the scriptural truths that the disciples of Jesus were preaching. But the disciples were filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit through the knowledge of God’s Word.
Hebrews 1:7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
Remember the foolish virgins’ lamps ran out, and the flame died.
Luke 12:35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
Each of us needs to be a light that shines in the dark place.
2 Peter 1:19 – We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
Psalms 43:3 – O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
There are some who fill up on God’s Word, just like filling up a lamp each day.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
But there will be those who aren’t ready and don’t have oil in their lamps at all.
2 Timothy 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Thank the Lord each day for the free gift of fuel He gives us for our lanterns. It’s time to fill up our hearts just like….
….. The Davy Lamp
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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