Today's Reading: Matthew 25: 1-13
**For a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please click this link: Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf.
Please click this link to read Matthew 25: 1-13
Bible Study
Following last passage of Jesus warning his disciples to be ready and awake at all time and to give a definition of a faithful and wise servant, here in this passage all ten girls became drowsy and fell asleep. The difference is that the wise girls have oil and the foolish one do not have oil. So, you must be thinking what is the meaning of oil. How can we take oil with us at all time. Right?
N.T. Wright says:
It's probably wrong to try to guess what the oil in the story stands for (some have suggested that it means good works; others faith, or love, or almost any of the Christian virtues). It isn't that kind of story. Within the world of the story itself, it simply means being ready for the key moment. You can't squash all these parables together and make the details fit with each other; all the girls in this parable, including the 'wise' ones, go to sleep in verse 5, whereas in verse 13 Jesus tells his follower to stay awake. Again, that kind of detailed question misses the point. What matters is being ready; being prepared; being wise; thinking ahead, realizing that a crisis is coming sooner or later and that if you don't make preparations now, and keep them in good shape in the meantime, you'll wish you had.
N.T. Wright says:
It's probably wrong to try to guess what the oil in the story stands for (some have suggested that it means good works; others faith, or love, or almost any of the Christian virtues). It isn't that kind of story. Within the world of the story itself, it simply means being ready for the key moment. You can't squash all these parables together and make the details fit with each other; all the girls in this parable, including the 'wise' ones, go to sleep in verse 5, whereas in verse 13 Jesus tells his follower to stay awake. Again, that kind of detailed question misses the point. What matters is being ready; being prepared; being wise; thinking ahead, realizing that a crisis is coming sooner or later and that if you don't make preparations now, and keep them in good shape in the meantime, you'll wish you had.
Are you ready? Are you wise that you have prepared for anything to come and you still can be ready for Jesus to come in your soul and take charge of your life?
Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage of scripture we have just read. Offer this time up to Jesus as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe"
Spiritual Journal
What I heard from Jesus today is: Are you ready?
What I got from Jesus today is a simple but deep question. Am I ready? Ready for what?
Today Jesus reminds me of my days in the high school. I was never ready and when examinations came I was so depressed and most of the time did badly. Jesus leads me to think of our "life" examinations, like my wife's leukemia and other crisis in my life. If I am not ready, I would be pulled into depression. So, readiness to me is still going back to my key saying "a daily intimate personal relationship with Jesus". Well, after I received a call from Jesus to write my Devotion on Fire 2 blog started a week ago, readiness to me means that I have more Bible verses that I can memorize and in a better position to have those "spiritual bullets" to win over Satan's attack. That's how Jesus had a perfect victory using three times Bible verses to win over Satan.
Unfortunately, most Christians only have a gun without any bullet. So, if you want to be more ready, I invite you to go to my Devotion on Fire 2 blog and try your best to memorize those daily golden verses. If you find it too many, you can choose one to memorize every week. Then, at least you have 52 bullets you can use! Michelle told me the best way for her now is to copy the golden verse in a paper, write it several times and it will surely help her to memorize those "spiritual bullets". Why don't you follow Michelle's method and see how it goes.
Anyway, Jesus wants you to be ready. Are you ready?
Today Jesus reminds me of my days in the high school. I was never ready and when examinations came I was so depressed and most of the time did badly. Jesus leads me to think of our "life" examinations, like my wife's leukemia and other crisis in my life. If I am not ready, I would be pulled into depression. So, readiness to me is still going back to my key saying "a daily intimate personal relationship with Jesus". Well, after I received a call from Jesus to write my Devotion on Fire 2 blog started a week ago, readiness to me means that I have more Bible verses that I can memorize and in a better position to have those "spiritual bullets" to win over Satan's attack. That's how Jesus had a perfect victory using three times Bible verses to win over Satan.
Unfortunately, most Christians only have a gun without any bullet. So, if you want to be more ready, I invite you to go to my Devotion on Fire 2 blog and try your best to memorize those daily golden verses. If you find it too many, you can choose one to memorize every week. Then, at least you have 52 bullets you can use! Michelle told me the best way for her now is to copy the golden verse in a paper, write it several times and it will surely help her to memorize those "spiritual bullets". Why don't you follow Michelle's method and see how it goes.
Anyway, Jesus wants you to be ready. Are you ready?
Dear Lord Jesus,
Lead us to be willing to do what we can to be ready for our examinations to come. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
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