“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: “ – Matthew 25:1-13

When I had to learn memory verses as a child, “Jesus wept” was a wonderful standby. As a Boy Scout, our motto was as easy, “Be prepared.”

The Marines have “Semper Fidelis”

We do not know the day when the Lord will come and settle all accounts.  But He demands that we live in a state of watchful expectation rather than fanciful speculation.  We are to be ever looking unto Jesus. We are to be ever watchful, ever faithful, and ever ready for His return.

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith …” (Hebrews 12:2) is the great challenge of our lives.  It is with seeking wonder and faithful awareness that we stand on tiptoe as watchmen in the night.  His coming will be a joyous and awesome occasion and our privilege is to be at a state of present readiness.  Every challenge in our lives comes down to this great challenge: To be found faithful when He come again.

But that future hope must not obscure the present reality that He is here now, present with us and that our call to readiness involves listening for His voice and observing what He is doing in our midst. It summons us to be ready for His call in every life situation and prepared to act upon His command at any moment.

Let us be watchful.