PARABLES - WEEK FIVE - DAY FOUR
Hello and welcome to your Daily Devos, following our Parables series at 29:11!
Take some time today to read through the provided scriptures, meditate on the lessons we’ve learned this week, and journal your prayers. Have an amazing week, 29:11 Church!
THEME SCRIPTURE:
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
1“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ 9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. 11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ 12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ 13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
- Matthew 25:1-13
TODAY’S PASSAGE:
36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
- Luke 21:36
REFLECTION:
As all the maidens started prepared with their lamps and oil, so too must we start our Christian journey with a commitment to follow Jesus. The challenge of this lies not in the initial commitment but in the ongoing effort to stay spiritually prepared. The unwise bridesmaids didn’t lack good intentions; they simply failed to maintain their readiness and sense of urgency. They didn’t have longevity as their goal. Knowing about Christ or simply living like a Christian isn't enough. Even the demons know about Christ. What truly matters is cultivating a personal, enduring relationship with Him.
Let this parable be a sobering reminder that we may find ouselves spiritually unprepared when Christ returns. The readiness that Jesus calls us to involves a constant vigilance and an active pursuit of spiritual growth, fueled by a deep, personal connection with Him. It’s easy to become complacent or distracted, just as the bridesmaids who focused on finding oil missed the bridegroom’s arrivalWe must remain spiritually alert, praying and watching as Luke 21:36 instructs us, always mindful that we are closer to the end times today than we were yesterday. The call to stay ready is a call to deepen our faith, ensuring that when the time comes, we are prepared to stand before the Son of Man.
THOUGHTS TO PONDER:
Are you actively maintaining your spiritual readiness, or have you allowed distractions to diminish your sense of urgency? How are you maintaining the longevity of your relationship with Christ? Consider how you might be like the unwise bridesmaids—focused on the right actions but missing the deeper connection. Journal about a time when you felt particularly close to God. What practices or habits were you engaging in during that period that fostered your spiritual growth and readiness? How can you incorporate those practices into your daily life now to stay prepared for Christ's return?
