"Don't Neglect Your Lamp"

"They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:  But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept".  Matthew 25:3,4,5

When talking to others about things that are happening in the world around us, I have heard my husband several times encourage them to "keep their lamps full".  Jesus told us to do the same thing in His parable of the five wise and five foolish virgins.  If we aren't careful our lamps can become empty.  The lamps of the five foolish virgins did. 

How does it happen?  How do our lamps become empty?  From the parable we see that it happened from neglect.  They neglected to take extra oil with them.  They neglected to stay awake.  They neglected to watch for the bridegroom's return. 

We must keep our lamps full.  We can't neglect so great a salvation.  We can't neglect our spiritual life.  We can't neglect the things of God.  We can't neglect the kingdom of God.  We can't neglect giving attention to the weightier matters and that which is eternal.  We must be on guard of being lulled to sleep by the cares of this life.  We have to be aware of getting too comfortable here (in this world) that we fall asleep and stop watching and waiting.  We can be put to sleep by indifference, by compromise, by leaning to our own understanding, by false reasoning, by worldly influences, by listening to the wrong voices, by taking our eyes off of the prize and by thinking that our Lord is delaying His coming.

So, be on guard.  Keep your lamps full by keeping your relationship with the Lord your first and foremost priority.  Stay awake by setting your affections on things above, by renewing your mind with God's word, by watching and praying, by resisting the temptation to neglect the Lord, by communing with Holy Spirit daily and by living with the expectation that His return could be any time.

Have a great day.  Don't neglect to keep your lamps full.