Another wedding, another feast. In this parable, ten girls wait eagerly to meet the bridegroom. When he arrives, the banquet will begin. The girls wait, and wait, and wait . . . and then fall asleep—all ten of them.

When the call finally comes, “Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” the girls awaken from their sleep, rub their eyes, and trim the wicks on their lamps. They want to help light the way for the bridegroom to enter the wedding festivities. They want to be part of the procession, part of the celebration, part of the big entrance.

But five of them have to drop out of the gathering crowd. They are not well prepared; they have run out of oil, so they have to go and try to buy more.

This parable is about being prepared and faithful. Are you prepared and ready to meet Jesus, the bridegroom who is coming? You can be assured of saying yes to this question if you believe and trust in Jesus himself.

And are you able to wait and persevere in faith for the Lord to come? We cannot rely on a friend’s faith, or the faith of our parents. We can only truly rely on the strength of faith that Jesus provides, and he gives that through his Spirit—in abundance, as much as we need!