We live in a culture in which wants other people to do the grunt work for their faith. Though it is more than okay to go to someone we trust in their knowledge of His word, we still have to do our part. We have to read His word, seek out the answers to questions we may have, and pray to God for insight and wisdom. There are many people that don’t practice their faith, they just claim to have it. But it’s awfully hard to have a relationship with someone we don’t know. It is easy to be misled by some that may have ill intentions or false understandings. Not walking with God and reading His word is like basing a friendship off of someone else’s opinion. Seems like an empty friendship, doesn’t it? I read something recently that said, “It is inconsistent not to have time for God yet desire to spend eternity with Him.” Such a wise and true statement. If we love God like we say we do, do we really know Him? Do we walk with Him, spend time with Him, learn as much as we can about Him? We seem too often to be too busy, to deepen our faith, on our own account. But if we don’t spend time having a relationship with Him now, how can we expect forever with Him? It would be as though a bride marrying a groom she doesn’t even know and expecting it to go well and last forever. Friend, may we all always be encouraged that out of everything we do, everyone we know, everything we learn the most, may it be about God. There is nothing more important than our faith walk with our Father in heaven. We must ask ourselves; do we really know Him? Do we really walk with Him? Do we truly love Him, above all else?

Erin Fitts-Brower

Matthew 25:1-13 NIV

25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³ The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. ⁴ The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. ⁵ The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

⁶ “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

⁷ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

⁹ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

¹⁰ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

¹¹ “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

¹² “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

¹³ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.