But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief.
Job 16:5 (NIV)
| Rushing Virgins by Cathy Vinson |
There are just certain
experiences in life that can't be rushed or pressed into a few moments. One such
experience is being filled with the Holy Spirit. "I counsel you to buy of Me..." (Rev 3:18). This we are told to do now, in the daytime. Do it now. Be wise. For Jesus to describe the Kingdom of Heaven "then" in the last of days, He looked around for a common utensil that could most accurately portray the Christian's relationship with the filling of the Holy Spirit. He chose a lamp, a lamp of His times. "Lampas denotes a torch, frequently fed like a lamp, with oil from a little vessel used for the purpose; they held little oil and would frequently need replenishing...a lamp is supplied by oil, which in its symbolism is figurative of the Holy Spirit*." It becomes apparent that numerous fillings, continual replenishments of God's Spirit are necessary to each believer. We, like the lanterns, seem to run through oil as conduits having limited capacities for the Holy Spirit to burn indefinitely without being filled and refilled. When Paul through the Holy Spirit said "be (continually) filled with the Holy Spirit" (Eph 5:18), it wasn't putting before us a choice, rather a very significant command. Imagine the horror as the virgins realized "our lamps are going out" (25:8)! What do you do at that fretful moment but desperately "go and buy" as they could have done with more leisure on a safer day. Initially all the virgins eagerly went to meet with, come face-to-face with the Bridegroom. All were ready to meet Him right then. In His delay, however, all nodded off and fell asleep. It was the middle of the night when the cry came. Where are we at the middle of the night? If we are awaken in deep sleep, what do we have? We have to go with what we've got. Can we get our heart right in a fleeting midnight moment? Let us not be foolish to think we can. Prepare before the nodding. Prepare before slumber. Be filled. Buy now. . |
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| "While they went
to buy, the Bridegroom came..." (Matthew 25:10) |
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