A WORD IN SEASON TO THE WEARY
November 7🌷🌷
“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:44)
It is necessary for all those who believe in the Lord’s second coming to have a torch in their hands as the ten virgins had. The “torch” is a symbol of the Church. A torch is often made of filthy rags and mud, and appropriately represents us, because, as sinners all our righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). As members of His Church we are His shining torches, and if our lights are burning we will be qualified to go with Him into His inner chamber. We must be willing to be governed and controlled by the Holy Spirit (John 3:34). God is willing to give us a full measure of His Spirit. We should not be afraid to go and ask Him (2 Tim. 1:7). However small and insignificant you may be to men, you have the right to go to the Lord day or night.
I believe that the ten virgins, both the wise and the foolish, represent born again people. The word virgin cannot be used for unbelievers; secondly unbelievers have no light; thirdly, unbelievers cannot have the Holy Spirit; and fourthly, unbelievers will neither long for nor desire to see the Lord Jesus Christ when He comes. It is only those who are born again that will long to see Him and go forward to welcome Him. But there are many believers who are like the foolish virgins. They do not make the necessary preparations to receive Him. So the Lord warns us that He may come at any time. Nobody has the right to question Him. On the other hand we should be always ready for Him with plenty of oil in our lamps and vessels. Oil is the symbol of the Holy Spirit. Having enough oil means having a life governed and controlled by the Holy Spirit, Who alone can keep you ready all the time.
There are some wrong conceptions regarding being filled with the Holy Spirit. Some think that to be filled with Holy Spirit one must shout in a special way and talk in tongues. If we are believers, we already have the Holy Spirit, and we should keep on praising Him, even in the smallest matter, always asking Him, “Lord, what is Thy wish?” Some people seek to be governed by the Lord only in big matters and not in small matters. These people are like the foolish virgins. They will not be ready to welcome the Lord at His second coming, neither will they receive the warm welcome that will be given to overcomers.
One day I lost a small stopper in my bath room. It was a small thing, but it was needed to keep the oil from spilling. So I prayed, “Lord, I do not know how to find this stopper. I have looked everywhere. It is not of much value, but it is useful to me. Please let me find it”. After three days I found it! This experience became very precious to me. Again I learnt how the Lord is interested even in small things which we need. So we must learn to go to Him often, and walk very close to Him; and then, our very lives will prove that we are really carrying oil with us. That is the only way we can be ready for His coming. Let us ask God to forgive us for our negligences and failures and make us ready for His coming.
