Josh1Eight

This parable about 10 bridesmaids was used by Jesus as an illustration about being ready for His return with the said moral of the story ending with vs. 13 "So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return." Basically there are 10 girls waiting up for the groom to arrive at the wedding feast. The groom takes longer than expected and doesn't arrive til late at night. Upon his arrival they all eagerly jump out of their sleeping bags ready to receive him, however only 5 of the girls thought ahead and brought extra oil for their lamp (or extra batteries for their flashlights). While the other 5 scramble in the dark, the prepared girls quickly follow the groom into the house for the feast while the rest ran off to radio shack thereby missing their opportunity. So what? Well, Jesus is making a comparison between those who are truly ready for His return and those who only think they're ready; point being: which one are you? In Jesus...

“I will make a covenant of peace with my people and drive away the dangerous animals from the land. Then they will be able to camp safely in the wildest places and sleep in the woods without fear. I will bless my people and their homes around my holy hill. And in the proper season I will send the showers they need. There will be showers of blessing. The orchards and fields of my people will yield bumper crops, and everyone will live in safety. When I have broken their chains of slavery and rescued them from those who enslaved them, then they will know that I am the Lord. They will no longer be prey for other nations, and wild animals will no longer devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will frighten them. “And I will make their land famous for its crops, so my people will never again suffer from famines or the insults of foreign nations. In this way, they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them. And they will know that they, the people of Israel, are my peopl...