The story of the wise and foolish virgins is a sobering passage from the gospel of Matthew. Like the women in the parable, we started our journey carrying lamps radiant with life. But for whatever reason, we find the oil in our lamps running low.
Many of us feel depleted and weary. The darkness of a world rife with anger, division, and conflict has drained us of love, of faith, of hope. We’re encountering new definitions of right and wrong. Maybe we didn’t understand that life in a fallen world would never be easy. We didn’t realize following Christ meant we had to keep replenishing the life-sustaining oil.
Like the five foolish women, we let our limited understanding dictate our decision-making. And midnight approaches.
I don’t know why five of the ten virgins in Jesus’ parable ran out of oil. Maybe they mistakenly thought they had enough to get by. Maybe they simply got tired of waiting for promises to be fulfilled. Or maybe they forgot their purpose. They had one assignment—watch for the bridegroom—and they blew it. Whatever the reason, their negligence caused them to lose everything.
In addressing these five, the Lord says they can’t come to the wedding feast because he doesn’t know them. Now isn’t that interesting? Had they known him, their lamps would have been full and flowing with oil. It makes me think the consequences of their neglect was also the cause.
Nothing is more important in life than knowing and being known by God. It’s what gives meaning to every hour of every day in our lives. It’s what we’re here for. It’s what keeps our lamps burning.
If we hope to keep our lamps burning, it’s vital to replenish the oil by cultivating our relationship with the Lord. We can’t let busyness or lesser affections or complacency divert us from what truly makes life worth living. So how do we do that?
It begins with remembering God has given each of us a light to shine. No matter how old or young we are, no matter our position or status, God has designed us to shine his light.
The oil provides the glow of gratitude and praise, holiness, truth, and faith. We replenish it with humility, dependence on God, mercy, grace, and persistence.
God calls us to shine the light into our culture, into mundane life, into disappointment and doubt. We shine this light in the face of fear and find confident trust. We shine the light when we see his gifts of goodness and discover happiness. We shine the light in our celebrations and turn stale traditions into new wine.
I pray you are encouraged to keep your wick trimmed and your oil filled to the brim. The days fall too uncertainly and the time approaches when it will no longer be day. May we be ready and watchful.
Father, thank you because your love for me never grows cold. Forgive me for so often I turn to lesser things. Only you can satisfy. Jesus, shine your light into my heart. Change me from the inside out, so I can be a light to the world around me. In your name I pray. Amen.
Additional Resource: This is an excerpt from Becky's devotional book called Keep Your Lamp Burning: Devotions to Help You Reflect God's Love, Our Faith, and Purpose.
This was republished with permission from the original author.