Our time is now! Time to prepare/make ready for the Lord.
Matthew 25 begins with two parables, The Ten Virgins and The Talents. Both involved a time of waiting and how that time was spent.
The parable of The Ten Virgins, waiting for the Lord to come and the wedding feast to begin. They fell into two equal groups, one was wise and one foolish. The wise took their lamps and also some oil, but the foolish took only the oil in their lamps, they had nothing in reserve. They were all virgins and they all had lamps but the wise had extra oil, so what was the oil that made such a difference to their destiny? The Bible doesn’t tell us, but I believe the Virgins represent purity and probably believers. They all had lamps, which could be light and understanding. The ‘Oil’ I believe is the Spirit and the things of God, or done for God while here on earth. The wise virgins were carrying their own oil, their lamps were burning when the Lord came, after midnight, in the darkness.
Later the others also came, ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said, ‘Open the door for us!’ But he replied, I tell you the truth, I don’t know you. Matt 25:11,12
The question for all of us, ‘Does the Lord know you’? Not our pastor or minister, nor our Church friends, but the Lord? We need to spend time now with the Lord, get to know Him and Him to know us. Set times and also as we go about our daily lives. ‘Practice the Presence of God’ or be ‘God aware’, inviting Him into our lives.
The Parable of the Talents also involved a time of waiting, for the Lord to return. He’d given His servants different amounts of ‘Talents’(giftings or abilities). The servant with the five Talents had gained five more, so had the one with two Talents. The servant with one Talent had buried it and had nothing to offer His Lord. Kjell, the man from Sweden, whom I used to travel with, said the Lord had put gifts or resources in every nation so that the people could live. God has not given us all the same amount but he’s given each of us something we can use for Him. He calls us to be faithful and serve Him where we can in order that He can reward us.
Remember also, ‘To whom much has been given, much will be expected’. Luke 12:48
Matthew 25 ends with the Lord in all His Glory, sitting over the nations/peoples of the earth and separating them, once again into two groups, sheep(those who followed Him) and goats(those who but/offer excuses or butt with their heads against authority). The principle governing this division;
The king will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me’. Matt 25:40
Helping the Lord’s children who are in need will be treated just the same as helping the Lord Himself, a powerful truth.
We need to use our time here for the Lord so that there will be blessings and rewards at His return.
God bless and keep you today.