The truth about life is that we are always planning and preparing for something. In order to prepare, you have to plan for what you are going to do. Some people are preparing to fail because they don’t have a plan to move forward. Others are relying on people in their plan and they always seem to come up short. In order for us to prepare for victory, we have to utilize the plan of the Lord. When developing a plan as a child of God, we are seeking the guidance of the Lord and we will use His Word as our road map. This is the only way to prepare for victory. The pandemic is a perfect example of how people are planning and preparing, some are doing absolutely nothing. Others are holding on to the information they received from the previous administration, while others are taking their direction from the Lord. 

In Matthew 25:1-13, Jesus shares a parable about ten bridesmaids that were waiting for the bridegroom. Five of them were identified as foolish, and the other five were considered to be wise. When they went to meet the bridegroom it was night and they did not know when he was coming. So five of them took flasks of oil, just in case their oil in the lamp ran out. The other five only brought their lamps, and no extra oil. They were waiting for so long, they got tired and fell asleep. At midnight an announcement was made, the bridegroom was coming and the bridesmaids all trimmed their lamps. However, the five foolish did not have any more oil, and asked the five wise to share. They did not have enough to share and use for themselves, so the five foolish had to go buy oil, and when they returned the door was shut to the wedding banquet. They cried out to get in, but they were left outside. In order to prepare for victory, you have to plan to bring some reserve. Chances are things won’t go as expected, but if you have the reserve you can expect victory. 

The Lord is using this parable to let us know we have to be committed to our relationship with Him. We are not in this relationship just to get our shout in every now and then. We want to embrace the Lord’s will for our lives and in doing this, we will grow in God’s grace and mercy. This is how we are able to keep the light burning in our lives. This is not something we can give to others, but we can share the good news with them. In doing this, they can establish their relationship with the Lord. This is why the five wise bridesmaids could not share their oil, because the Lord is the only One that can keep our light shining. That’s why we are planning and preparing, because the Lord wants us to make it in, and this is the victory we all want. Continue to walk in your blessings!