Two weeks before a major holiday sale many stores will release an ad displaying the items that will be on sale, at greatly reduced prices. From clothes to electronics and house items, everything that is in that ad will be in the store and ready to purchase when the sale starts. If there is something in that ad that you would like then you had better make preparations beforehand to ensure that you will get it.
So suppose that someone, on the day of the sale, goes through the aisles, picks everything out that they want, but upon arriving at the checkout they realize that they forgot the one important item that they needed- their wallet. With no way to purchase anything, they cannot get the things in their cart. They weren’t very prepared, were they? They weren’t ready to take advantage of that limited time offer.
There was a similar situation that the Lord presented in a parable that He told in Matthew 25, about bring prepared, ready, watching, and waiting for His return.
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.”
In this parable, there were ten virgins who had left to go and meet the bridegroom before the wedding, but as we read, only half of them were actually ready. The five virgins who were ready had prepared themselves by filling up their lamps with oil, so that when the time came they could see through the dark. Then of course you had the other five, who did not bother to prepare themselves beforehand, and by the time that they decided to start to get ready, they were too late.
Just as the Lord explained in the last verse of His parable, we do not know when He will return to come and get His followers, so He tells us to watch, and to have ourselves prepared now so that we are ready to meet Him.
Being prepared is an important part of life, but even more so when applied to one’s faith in Christ. We have all of this time right now to get ourselves ready for the return of the Lord, and begin to get the oil in our lamps filled to the top. We need to live each day as though it could be our last, because it may be; we don’t really know.
Just like preparing for a holiday sale, let us prepare ourselves and get ready to meet the Lord. Let us earnestly wait for that day, so that when the time comes we don’t miss the greatest deal of your life.
In Christ,
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 