January 26 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

These ten girls were to take part in a bridal procession. We should imagine that they were waiting in a house halfway between the homes of the bride and the groom. There they sat, all dressed up, holding their little lamps, ready to go out as soon as the bridegroom came. Then they would join the friends of the groom. Singing happy songs, they would lead the couple to the hall where the wedding was to take place.

But it took much longer than they had expected. Their excited chatter died down, they became drowsy, and they fell asleep. Then, suddenly, they were startled by a shout that the bridegroom was coming. Quickly they trimmed their lamps, which had burned up all the oil. Five of the girls had had enough foresight to bring some extra oil, and they went out to meet the bridegroom with brightly burning lamps. But the others had not taken any precautions and now found themselves without the lights they were supposed to carry. Since there was not enough oil to share, they ran off to buy some. But when the five foolish girls came running to the wedding hall, the door was closed. They were shut out. They were too late.

The point of the story is that since we do not know the day or the hour of Christ's return, we must be prepared to meet him anytime. When Christ comes, it is too late to get ready. We must be ready!

Throughout the New Testament, we are told what terror the sudden coming of the Lord will bring to those who aren't expecting him. The parable of the ten girls is about the friendliest, most innocent setting to choose in making this point. As a matter of fact, we feel just a bit sorry for these five girls.

Don't you feel sorry for the majority of the people you meet, who don't give a thought to the coming of the Lord?

Reflections

How can you live in such a way that you are prepared to meet Christ? What does "being ready" mean for your day-to-day living?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.