Good morning. Today's power scripture comes from Matthew 24:36 and 44 –“36But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 44Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
On
the Mount of Olives Jesus was telling his disciples about the signs of the end
times and warning them through the use of parables that they must always be
prepared for no one knows the exact time that it will happen. We chide about global events that spurn
discussion of the end times. When
bizarre things occur or strange events seem to happen in succession we often
say: The signs are getter closer - time to pull out the broom - better get your house in order - Because
Jesus is coming soon.
We
may joke about the CNN reports and the world news updates…but as Christians we
all know that our Savior has promised to return and that we do not know the day
or the hour…but that we must be prepared and we must be ready. In the next
chapter (Matthew 25) Jesus tells the parable of the 10 bridesmaids. Only half were considered wise; the other
half foolish. All were deemed for
perfection, yet when the test came they were split in half…5 being the number
of grace. When the time came…when the
rubber hit the road...when the stuffing hit the fan…when the final buzzer rang…when
the gift of grace was put to the test -
5 knew how to use the gift of grace that was given and were prepared…5 because
of their inability to be ready fell short.
They had in their hands the lamps that they needed, but were still
unprepared because they had no extra oil.
What
is in your hand?. Do you take for
granted the tools God has provided to light your way and give you direction?
The foolish took their lamps yet made no provision for the uncertainty that was
sure to lie ahead. The coming of the bridegroom was not something that was a
usual occurrence; this was a once in a lifetime event and yet to them it was
not important enough to treat with the special forethought that it
deserved. God places things in our hands
for us to use in preparation for the uncertain yet important events that lie
ahead for us.
Because
the tools…. gifts….. talents….. that we are graced with become second nature to
us…do we forget their prime purpose? Do
we overlook or take for granted their importance. Or do we always make sure that WHAT we have in hand maintains its value
and use. God gives us certain skills, we
must not let them wear thin, get rusty or dusty, outdated, lose credibility,
grow dull, lapse, become invalid, expire, need tuning or go flat…
Lamps
without oil are as useless as incomplete school transcripts, unfinished
projects, neglected relationships, untapped potential and untamed egos.
They that
were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them. A gun without bullets cannot stop a charging
beast, a pen without ink cannot sign thoughts into law, a dull blade is useless
in cooking, the wheels of ingenuity cannot turn with rusted parts. Don’t
let your God-given gifts go awry. They have a specific purpose in your destiny.
Keep them ready and sharp for God’s glory.
Every day is
a good day; it is up to us to make it a power-packed GREAT day! Be blessed! Dr.
JoAnn
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