Memory Verse -
But
the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There
is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23
Write out the
verse again…and say it out loud. Can you repeat it to someone in your family, a
friend or work associate? Challenge yourself. Find some joy in your
accomplishment of committing it to memory. Below is a scripture passage that is
a favorite of mine…and brings joy to my very soul when I think about the Bridegroom,
Jesus, coming to bring us to His banquet—the wedding feast. Keep watch!
The Bridegroom is Coming
 |
| Have you got oil for your lamp? |
Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten
bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them
were foolish, and five were wise. The five who were foolish didn't take enough
olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along
extra oil. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell
asleep. "At midnight they were roused by the shout, 'Look, the bridegroom
is coming! Come out and meet him!' "All the bridesmaids got up and prepared
their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others, 'Please give us some
of your oil because our lamps are going out.' "But the others replied, 'We
don't have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.'
"But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who
were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.
Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling,
'Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!' "But he called back, 'Believe me, I
don't know you!' "So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the
day or hour of my return. Matthew 25:1-13
I love this
parable that Jesus told His disciples about the kingdom of heaven. Only found
in the book of Matthew, it gives us Protestants a view into the Jewish customs.
The Jewish couple is betrothed—promised in marriage to each other, but their
wedding doesn’t take place until their home is prepared. The bridegroom goes to
his father’s house and adds on a room—or rooms depending on his wealth. When
his father says that the home is ready for the bride, he sends the bridegroom
to get her. Meanwhile the wedding party, including those ten virgins, have been
preparing for the wedding at the bride’s home—helping her get ready. On this
day…my wedding anniversary…I love to reread this story that Jesus told about
being ready for the most important wedding of all time!
I
just imagine the bride’s preparations are complete and now these ten girls all
curled up, sleeping while they are waiting for the bridegroom’s procession.
"He is coming!" They are awakened suddenly, excited, jumping up and
down, bumping into each other, and some discover they don’t have enough oil. The
important point is that the five wise girls who planned ahead had enough “oil”
to light their lamps and the others didn’t.
The
bridegroom arrives at the bride’s home and after observing some religious
ceremonies he whisks her away to their new home, at his father’s house—where
the wedding ceremony and the festivities take place. The bride’s maids in waiting
would come out with oil lamps to light up the entrance as the groom and his
guests arrived. After the bridegroom procession entered his father’s house, the
doors were shut and no other guests were received. Then the bride and groom
would be seated under a colorful canopy and for the next three to five days the
father of the groom hosted an elaborate and elegant banquet. The wedding feast. Those who are ready go with the
bride and groom—those who aren’t ready miss out altogether. Moral of the
story—be ready. The unprepared girls had to go buy more oil—and when they arrived at
the wedding feast the door was locked and they were not allowed to enter. Thus
they were left out
in the cold—the Lord didn’t know them.
The bride
symbolically represents the church, the bridegroom is Christ, and the ten
virgins are said to be representative of the professing Jewish remnant on earth
at Christ’s return. The oil is symbolic for the Holy Spirit—so be wise… keep
yourself filled. Be ready—again, BE PREPARED! We don’t know the hour or
the day that Christ, the bridegroom, will return and take us to His feast. That
is The Banquet we don’t want to miss!
Read the
passage in John 14:1-3…Do not let your
heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are
many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to
prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again
and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. This is
Jesus’ promise to us that He is preparing a place for us in heaven—in His
Father’s house—just like the Jewish bridegroom in this scripture in Matthew.
Share your joy with others. The joy that Jesus gives us as we wait for
His return.
Prayer
~ Lord God, thank you for your plan to have Your Son prepare a place just
for us—His bride. We so look forward to the great wedding feast in Your
Heavenly home one day.
Daily Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 10-12
© 2019 Text and
photo by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All
scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
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Happy 47th Anniversary – Sweet Hunisan,
Jerry.
I would marry you again--if you'd ask me!
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