On Countdown
by Judith Whitehead
I have to admit I am not the quickest or the most organised person, especially first thing in the morning, which can create a problem if I need to arrive in a certain place for a certain time, such as attending an appointment. I frequently find myself running out of time (on countdown), even though I have set my alarm the night before. I generally get out of bed as soon as it rings. In fact, sometimes, the earlier I am up, the more I tend to end up rushing around at the last minute and getting myself into a panic in case I am late.
The reason is that I think to myself, “I will just do this job before I go out, then it's less to do later on when I get back home." Invariably, the job takes longer than planned, especially if I have failed to accurately weigh up how long it will take, or I get side-tracked along the way with something else that needs doing which is not really a priority. Simply put, I can mess around doing unimportant things and not really be concentrating on the time.
In the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), Jesus gives us a stark warning about not being ready when He arrives. The wise virgins were organised and ready to meet the bridegroom. They had their lamps ready, and also a supply of oil in their jars should their lamps run out of oil. The foolish virgins, although they took their lamps with them, didn't bother taking any extra oil, hence their lamps began to grow dim and go out. The five foolish virgins must have ended up rushing around at the last minute, feeling a real sense of panic as they ran out of oil, and then having to go and buy some extra oil to keep their lamps burning.
There is an important lesson here for all of us. I'm sure many of us, at times, find ourselves not using our time wisely and perhaps being late for appointments, coffee with friends, or even arriving late for church. I really do not like being late for anything or anybody. I generally do always make it on time to where I need to be, with just with a minute or two to spare. But there will be no time to spare when Jesus arrives. Am I ready? Are you ready? If the answer is "no", then don't wait a moment longer. Get ready now. We are all on countdown until Jesus arrives, and the seconds are ticking away rapidly.
Read again the verse at the start of this devotional and reflect on it throughout the day and be well prepared and ready for the day when the bridegroom (Jesus) returns for His bride (you and me).
Judith Whitehead Judith is married to Dougie and they have one son. Judith loves spending time with her family, including two gorgeous grandchildren and being outdoors walking in the countryside. Judith lives locally to Ellel Grange and is a part of the creativity team at Ellel Grange. Judith has a deep desire to encourage others and to help believers and unbelievers come to a place of knowing God personally and deeply for themselves.
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