I was in prayer last night and the Lord reminded me of the passage in Matthew 25, concerning the ten virgins. We all have been taught about the wise ones and the foolish ones… but take it a step further.

They were, in essence, the Lamplighters. The ones called to light the way, to keep the oil burning.

If you read the Old Testament, in Numbers 8, God instructed Aaron to set up the lamps of the Menorah so that they would give light in front of the Menorah, originally one of the Most Sacred vessels in the Holy Temple. It was lit every evening by the High Priest.

The Menorah is celebrated to remember the Miracle that happened when the Jewish rebels (the Macabees) took back the Holy Temple from the their conquerors. The enemy had done everything that they could to defile the Temple, including bringing idols into the Temple.

It was made of pure gold, decorated with buds and blossoms.. a vessel of magnificence and beauty. It was made with six outlying branches, and one centered, creating a total of seven lamps. It stood five feet tall.

Every morning, a priest filled the menorah’s seven lamps with the purest olive oil; in the afternoon, he would climb a three-step staircase to kindle the menorah’s lamps. The seven flames burned throughout the night, a symbol of the God’s divine light that radiated from the Holy Temple to the entire world.

Can you imagine the breathtaking beauty of the Menorah, as the sunlight possibly glanced off of it’s golden shadow? The hues would radiate with such a shining aura. Such heart stopping beauty that I can only imagine.

That beauty would remain untouched throughout the day… its luster there for the priest to view. But, other than the High Priest, who was there to partake the beauty? To see its beauty, its perfection? It was, for all intents and purposes, a lamp without a flame. Beautiful but useless.

Then, as the sun began to sink in the horizon, the lamps would be lit. The perfect oil that had been replenished in the early hours of the morning was now put to use.

Now, after the flames were kindled.. the Light was strong. To illuminate the shadows of darkness. The lamp was now fulfilling its purpose, its destiny. An undisputed useless vessel of magnificence had now become a beacon of radiance. A blazing luminescence of Glory. A light to a darkened world. A rising flame in the inky blackness of night.

This is where it gets interesting. To me, anyway. According to Torah Law, an ordinary layman is also allowed to light the menorah. The laws governing the Lighting are a paradox, in the fact that any Jew can light the lamps, but the menorah is located deep within the Holy Temple. It is situated in a place that ordinary men aren’t allowed to venture. Only the High Priest can enter in.

The only way for an ordinary Israelite to light the menorah was if he did so with the aid of long pole, or if the menorah was carried out to where he was, and then replaced back into the Holiest Place.

Without the long pole, an ordinary person cannot reach the lamps to light them.

Being a woman who is vertically challenged, I can relate very well to attempting to reach the unattainable.

I usually climb, or beg someone to reach it for me.

That is the point I am attempting to make today. Without attempting to reach the unreachable heights, we’ll never know if we can achieve our goal. We, as Christians, sometimes have to go beyond our comfort level, to do things that our Lord asks of us.

We can sit all day on a sofa and whine that “I can’t reach it, I can’t do it”, but, until we try, we’ll never know how much that long pole will help us reach our goal. I know that I’ve used several “poles” to obtain things out of my reach.

A few years ago, I would never have imagined that I would be where I am today. I didn’t get here the way I planned, or wanted, but I still arrived. I never thought I’d ever write one book, much less several. I never thought several things in my life would ever happen, but, they did.

As I sit here and type this, I keep thinking about the ten virgins that the Lord used in His parable. Five lamps full of oil… or five lamps that were empty. They all wanted to meet the bridegroom, but some chose not to prepare.

If you think that God has chosen you in any capacity, whether or not you happen to think that you are qualified….then you need to find your pole.

Find a way to reach what seems unreachable. Find a way to obtain the goal that God has laid upon your heart. It is our duty to fulfill the destiny He has shown us. He’ll make sure the pole that we need is within our grasp. He’ll make sure that it’s long enough for us to reach our purpose, our destiny. Fill your heart to overflowing with His most precious oil…. what He offers freely in His Word. Be prepared to reach beyond your comfort level. When your lamp is kindled, let it illuminate the darkness that surrounds your loved ones, your neighbors, your world!

We are His Lamplighters today… we’ve been called, we’ve been chosen, to show His Light, to keep it burning for our children, and for our future. Lord, don’t let me ever let Your Light be extinguished !

Go light your world!!