Waiting To Excel
Can you
recollect the last time you were expecting an important visitor? Can you
recollect the preparations you made to receive the visitor? Do you remember
the meticulous cleaning of every nook and corner of your dwelling place, the
rearrangement of the furniture and the wardrobe? All the changing of the
window curtains, cleaning the garbage and the bathroom. The kitchen was not
left out and the living room floor was polished to shine. You put on your
best dress and your best look and waited for the doorbell to ring.
Ten were the
virgins that were waiting to meet the bridegroom. Only five entered with
him. The other five could not. The Bible described the fortunate five as
wise and the unfortunate five as foolish. They were foolish in that they
were not prudent as expected; and they did not demonstrate required
responsibilities in their calling. Because of these failures, the desired
result could not be achieved as it contradicts with the principle of sowing
and reaping. They only made numbers, which was why they took their calling
nonchalantly. They lacked focus and their vision became cloudy. They simply
could not stand in the gap and could not occupy till he come.
The other
fortunate virgins were different. They were eager to meet the bridegroom but
patiently waited for him. They recognized the groom because they knew who He
was. They patiently counted the cost of their calling and they stopped at
nothing in obtaining their desire. They would not allow anything to stand
between them and their goal. To them, that goal was valuable and precious.
They were determined. They planned, they executed and they achieved their
desired goal. They could not afford to let the light in their hands go out
so they came prepared with enough supply of lamp oil and jealously guarded
it until the bridegroom came.
Both the wise
and foolish virgins had a mission but they had different approaches and
goals. The wise virgins, like prize-winning athletes, ran their races with
prepared minds leaving no stone unturned and their focus was on the prize.
The foolish virgins, on the other hand, were carelessly prepared and were
completely indifferent about winning a prize.
Examine
yourself today in order to know where you fall among these two camps. As the
second hand of your wristwatch ticks by, the closer you are to the coming of
the King, the spotless bridegroom, who is our Lord Jesus Christ. Are you
prepared to meet Him if He should come today? Have you known and recognized
Him as your Lord and personal Savior? Do you realize and appreciate the love
behind His death on the cross for you? Do you appreciate the preciousness of
the blood that was shed for your salvation? If your candle light is not on
the lamp-post where everybody can see it or if you did not lay before Him
everything (yourself and your potentialities) to be used for His glory as a
vessel unto honor, you need to take a second look at the cross. We must be
living everyday of our lives in preparation, by cleaning the garbage of our
hearts, rearranging the priorities of our lives and let the King have
preeminence in all things, in holiness and righteousness. We need to live
everyday as if there will be no tomorrow, faithfully and patiently
waiting to excel before the bridegroom. Have you ever asked yourself,
"Will there be any star in my crown?" Think! May God bless you, Amen.
For clearer understanding of the vital
points mentioned above, please read the following Bible passages:
Ecclesiastes
9:12; Matthew 24:38-51; Matthew 25:1-10; Revelation 19:7.
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For further information please contact any Bible Believing
Church near you
or P. O Box 141, New York, NY 10163. E-mail:mae@christlightbearers.com
English Tract No. 5 (1997) written by: MAE |
