Forewarned

The Word of God is full of warnings like, do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, do not be conformed to this world, do not have any idols before you or bow down to them, do not fear or do not let your heart be troubled.  Then there are warnings about not breaking the Ten Commandments and not causing your brother to stumble and to love your enemies and love your neighbors as yourself.  In different books of the Bible it warns about what will happen in the end times and the kind of people we should be like.  Also in the Word it tells us how we should hate sin but love the sinner and what will happen to the wicked in the end if they haven’t repented and received the Lord as their Lord and Savior.  There are many warnings to the Jews, God’s chosen people, and also to all the people that were not Jews.  The Word of God is saturated with warnings to help all of God’s creation to know what to expect if these warnings go unheeded.  These warnings are not to condemn us but to help us live happier and more fulfilled lives if we adhere to them.  God is love and He loves us unconditionally and He knows what is best for us.  God’s commandments are for our good, He commands us to do certain things or not to do certain things to forewarn us and to keep us up to date on upcoming events so that we will be prepared for them before they come to pass, and to avoid the consequences if we fail to prepare ourselves.  

Remember the parable Jesus told about the ten virgins and how five were wise and five were foolish.  Read what it says about them in Matthew 25:1-13, “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

Jesus is clarifying what it means to be ready in this parable.  In other places in the Word He speaks about His return and about remaining watchful, as well as the cost of following Him, the final judgment and so many other things.  But how will anyone be prepared unless they are in the Word studying and meditating on it, praying for the Holy Spirit to teach them and to lead them into all the truth and to bring the things back to their remembrance whatsoever they have learned when they need them.  We need to ask the Holy Spirit to help us to hide the truths in our hearts that we might not sin against the Lord.  We don’t want to be like the five foolish virgins and not heed the warnings so we are not prepared and ready for His return or anything else we need to be prepared for.  Being prepared is one way we show we love God and keeping His commandments is also a way we show we love Him.  

Read what it says in 1 John 5:2-3, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”

A good way to start out the New Year is to rededicate your lives to the Lord, and also consciously commit to put the things into practice that I mentioned earlier in this ‘Tidbit’, making sure that you are prepared for whatever you need to be, because we have all been forewarned.  I have given you something to think about and I hope you will.  May you have a blessed and super day!!