OK, I’m Awake Now!
“You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.” 1 Thessalonians 5:5, 6
Is there anything more irritating than the alarm clock going off right in the middle of a good sleep? I was irritated that much in church a couple of years ago during worship. I think the name of the song was “Wake Up, Sleeper.” The lyrics to the chorus are:
“Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up you sleeper
Stand up, stand up, stand up all you dreamers
Hands up, hands up, hands up all you believers
Take up your cross, carry it on.”*
Those words and music were so irritating to me that I could hardly wait for that song to just be over! I thought, “Of course I’m awake, I’m here in church aren’t I?” Yes, I was in church physically, but spiritually I was asleep!
In the last few years, the increasing ugliness, hate, division, and evil in our own USA seems to have happened so suddenly. I told my husband that I feel like Rip Van Winkle, the fairytale character who, because of his laziness and idleness, fell asleep for 20 years then awoke to a find himself in a strange and unfamiliar world. How in the world did this happen so quickly?
Looking back, I can see that the Lord was trying to wake up any of us “sleepers and dreamers.” But it was easy for me to resist, so naturally I chose to stay in my comfortable, complacent little Christian “bubble.” I was totally unaware of the time bomb that had been ticking for decades as we (our country) gradually edged the Lord out of our lives. Deceitfully, Satan lured us away from trusting in the Lord and obeying His Word. Our “prosperity” has caused us to be self-centered and self-sufficient. We failed to remember how our founding fathers were led by God to create this “In God We Trust” republic. We have lost our moral compass. No wonder things are becoming so dark.
There is nothing new under the sun. These kinds of things have been going on since the beginning of time to the children of Israel, as well as to other people all over the world. As we read through the Old Testament, we can see the cycle: God delivers His people and blesses them. Then in their prosperity they soon forget the One who loved and provided for their every need, and soon began to worship the creation rather than the Creator. They praised Him with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him.
1 Peter 4:7 says, “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.”
Forgive us, Lord, for our complacency and idleness. Thank You for Your amazing grace, undeserved mercy, and steadfast love. We pray for Your kingdom to come and Your will to be done! Amen.
Amén, well said. Lord help me be awake and aware. Help the church to pay attention and live for your glory!
I agree…Wake me up to be vigilant andnon fire for yuo Lord Jesus. Help me benthw example I am called to be.
And while we were all ‘sleeping’ the enemy of our souls was out there planting his seeds of discord causing much confusion. While searching for a favorite Church Service to attend via U-Tube, all of a sudden Adrian Rogers popped up on the screen, and my mother and I had watched him together over many years, so I was familiar with his teaching. The Subject, “Signs of the Times, The Last Days”…. from Matthew 24, He gave four things to watch for and be aware of: Deception (vs. 4), Division (vs. 6 & 7), Disasters (vs. 7 & 8) and Desolation (remaining verses). If we look at the news of the day from a Biblical perspective and know the truth of His Word, then we might wake up. Hopefully, it’s not too late for all of our loved ones. Intercessory prayer is of utmost importance for ‘such a time as this’. Thank you for your insightful message which so beautifully illustrates why we cannot ‘sleep through the messages’ God is providing today. May God bless you all.