I love living in a state where we can experience all four seasons. One of the best feelings in the world is the warm-up in March/April, followed closely by the cool-down in September/October. When you see the leaves start to bud on the trees, you know winter is ending. When you see the colors change, you know winter is close. Every season has its own type of magic. The key is to recognize the signs so you can prepare for what is at hand.

God wants us to know the times in which we live. Matthew tells us about a conversation between Jesus and the religious leaders. They asked him for a “sign from Heaven.” (Matthew 16:1) “Jesus answered: When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times” (Matthew 16:2-3). 

What does that mean? Consider this parable:

There once were ten bridesmaids who went to meet the bridegroom. They waited with torches lit for the bridegroom to appear so that they could join the celebration. Unfortunately, some of these young women failed to prepare for the moment by bringing extra oil for their torches. When the bridegroom was delayed, and the hours passed by without any glimpse of him on the horizon, those torch-flames started to burn low. And when the cry finally came, “Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him,” they weren’t able to join the parade and were locked out of the party.

This is not a pleasant story, but it is an important one. In fact, Jesus told it for a purpose, and the key to understanding His meaning is found in one symbol—light—torches and oil. The Bridesmaids were given torches and a responsibility to keep that light shining until the Groom appeared. They were to keep their heads up, their eyes open, and their fires burning. 

Paul instructed the church in Thessalonica: “Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-4)

In Romans 13:11, Paul says that the Church has been asleep, just like the Maidens in Jesus’ parable. “The hour has come to wake up from your sleep!” In other words, it is midnight cry, and the bridegroom is coming.

Jesus taught His disciples to look for the signs of His return, and then said, “When these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28)

They say that it is always the darkest just before dawn. I cannot think of any scientific reason that that would be so, but I believe that we are in one of the darkest eras in the history of man. There is not only a preponderance of evil. There is such easy access to things that pollute the mind and cause every imagination to be only evil continually.

In other words, our salvation nearer than when we believed. At the end of each day, we can say, “I am one day closer to the coming of Jesus Christ.” My salvation is much nearer than when I first believed in Jesus. The night of the reign of darkness over the world is almost over. The day of the Lord is at hand.

How can you and I be sure that we are ready? Go back to the image in Jesus’ parable—empty oil containers. Have you ever had a season in life where you felt used up and empty? Many of us spend the best part of our energy on things that don’t last. We fight battles in every direction that won’t even matter in a couple of years, much less in eternity. And that’s a problem because when you burn all of your energy on the wrong things, it makes you feel empty and tired. Before you know it you’re lulled to sleep and forget the one job Jesus gave you.

That’s the bad news. The good news: there is a way to refill your oil. In the Bible, oil is often a symbol for the Holy Spirit, and refilling means drawing near to Him again—getting your life centered in Him again; getting still and listening to what He says and meditating on His words; being present with Him. If you do that over and over, as part of a regular rhythm in your day, He’ll keep you centered, and you’ll never run out of fuel, and your light will always burn bright, pointing people to Him.

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FINAL WORD:

John Ortberg tells this story:

A friend of mine used to work as a denominational official in Minnesota. One of his jobs was to travel to little rural communities where they didn’t have churches to do funerals. He would go out with an undertaker, and they would drive together in the undertaker’s hearse. One time, they were on their way back from a funeral, and my friend, John, was feeling quite tired. He decided he would take a nap. Since they were in a hearse, he thought, Well, I’ll just lie down in the back of the hearse.

Sounds like kind of a creepy thing to do, but this is a true story. The guy who was driving the hearse pulled into a service station, because he was running low on gas. The service station attendant was filling up the tank and he was kind of freaked out, because there was a body stretched out in the back. While he was filling the tank, John woke up, opened his eyes, knocked on the window and waved at the attendant. John said he never saw anybody run so fast in his whole life.

Ortberg adds, “When people see life where they were expecting death, they start running. On the third day, everything changed! Where everybody thought they were just going to see death, there was life! And that shook things up!”

REFLECT:

Read Ephesians 5:13-20. In your journal, write out a prayer for yourself that reflects the meaning of Paul’s exhortation to “wake up” in this passage.