Hi everyone,
Well, today I was reading about the parable of the 10 virgins. What hit me was this: the five unwise/foolish did not have enough oil. When the bridegroom came and they went out to meet Him, verse 25:8 says that the foolish saw their lamps were going out and tried to rush to get more! So, I pondered this and thought, hmmm...it was like each Sunday the foolish ones went to church and got just enough oil to "survive" the next 6 days. They just assumed the oil would be there next week. The lamps would burn bright maybe on Sunday and Monday and they got used to the dimming as the week progressed. Until one day, there would not be another Sunday!
I really took pause and recognized that we are not called to be dim but to burn bright! The ONLY way is for me to get my own oil through the Word daily, like a constant infusion into my life. I can fool myself into thinking I’m seeing rightly and discerning properly with a dim light, however, the shadows of this dark age and sin mirror differently in the dimness, and I can (and will) be deceived. What matters is what I do on the other 6 days of the week combined with the Sunday corporate infusion.
This scripture has lots of other stuff but today I just focused on this and was compelled that my daily time is the imperative not an option! I can never be deceived that a "bright’" experience in church leads to a brightly burning individual lamp continuously.
Much love,
Cari