Daily Devotional
Word of the Day
Do You Have Excess?
Pastor Scott
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
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"They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:"
(Matthew 25:3)
In the hour that we're living in, ask the question, "Is my lamp filled with oil? Am I fully ready?" "[The] foolish took their lamps..." (Matt. 25:3). The implication is that there was the proper lamp, capable of burning. It had in fact in the past burned, probably very brightly. "... [But they] took no oil with them." They thought that what they had was enough. Do you believe that what you have is enough to finish this race? Do you believe that what you have today is sufficient to cause you to stand against the wiles of the devil that are coming in this last day? The Scripture says in the last days that iniquity is going to abound and many who love Him today will grow cold (Matt. 24:12). How does that correspond with your judgment that you have sufficient? In these times, evil is going to wax worse and worse, the Scripture says. If things are going to get worse, shouldn't you become better? When the opposition becomes stronger, shouldn't you become stronger? What are you doing to make yourself stronger today? What are you doing to prepare yourself against the seduction of Antichrist? If your light be darkness, then how great is that darkness (Matt. 6:23). If you think you're OK and you're not, you're in deception and death; there is no light in you.
"But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps" (Matt. 25:4). They had excess. Do you have excess? When you look at your spiritual life and you look at what's going on in the world today, can you say you have more than enough? If you don't, you know where to get it, don't you? The five foolish knew where to get it, and so do you. You get it on your knees in communion with Father. You get it in serving the Body of Christ and choosing to die to self. Do you have more than enough, or are you barely getting by? I'm one of those people that runs my gas tank on empty--the needle will lay on "E" for untold amounts of time. I think, "I can go at least one more exit." Do you have more than enough spiritually, or are you taking a chance of running out? I have run out of gasoline once that I can remember, but I have no intentions of cutting this one close. Spiritually, I want to stay on "full." How about you?
The wise are the ones that took not only full lamps but sufficient oil. What is that oil? We all know that it's a type of the Holy Spirit. How much of your life is Spirit-led? How full are you of the Holy Ghost? How many of your thoughts are Spirit-originated? Or do you think with the mind of the world? Do you let the natural mind set your course?
"While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered..." (Matt. 25:5). This slumber implies that they were pursuing the natural course of life. But they were ready at any moment for the one preeminent event--the coming of the bridegroom. It's not wrong to be involved in your daily business and in your secular job. The Scripture tells us that we're to occupy until He comes (Luke 19:13). We go on with our lives. We are the light of the world and the salt of the earth until He comes. We are in this world but not of it. We have one treasure, and that's the Bridegroom. And everything that we do is in preparation for that day. Today could be the day that Jesus comes!