Skip to main content

I Woke You Up

  For 364 days of the year growing up, I was not the easiest child to get out of bed. If the circumstances required me to be out of bed at a particular time it usually involved cajoling, threats, and occasionally a glass of cold water.

 Yet on one day of the year, I was ‘up and at em’ way too early. In fact, it became a requirement for me to yell out from my room “Can I get up yet”?  Can you guess what day that was?


  If you have not figured it out, it was a day that started with presents under the Christmas tree. You see on that day, there was something worth being awake early.

   There is a common phrase in scripture (Ephesians 5:14, Romans 13:11-12, 1st Thessalonians 5:6-7) that links being asleep to folks in a dangerous spiritual condition. When it comes to the things of the Lord, we are just kind of out of it. We like a kid in the morning, barely awake wanting to stay in bed.

    Maybe we would be more awake, if like a kid at Christmas, we focused on what was awaiting us. The blessing of God that comes to those who are eagerly anticipating them. Instead of being a church asleep at the wheel. We were bouncing in our beds ready to go.

  If we are asleep spiritually it may be because we are not thinking there is something to be awake for.  But the presence of God is something we should be excited for!

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Until Midnight

    In Acts 20, there is the tragicomic event surrounding a young man by the name of Eutychus. He did what a lot of folks before and after him did, he fell asleep during a sermon. Unfortunately, he was setting in in the third story window at the time. So instead of nodding off and hitting the pew in front of him, he fell to his death. The good news was the apostle Paul was delivering the sermon and had the ability to bring him back.       I don’t know, however, if we can judge Eutychus too harshly. The sermon had gone on till midnight. Paul wouldn’t finish it up till daybreak. That’s a long lesson. I know some folks that might want to jump out of a window if I had a lesson that long, yet these Christians wanted to be there to hear Paul.   Don’t get me wrong, I’m not pushing for all night sermons but I think we might need to adopt these folks' dedication. They knew that Paul was only in town for a limited time only and they were determined to ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Gift You Give Yourself

    I always hated buying gifts for my Mom. If I got her something like a new set of pans, it was like saying “Here’s something you can use to go make me something to eat”. A gift for her was seemingly a gift for me.   There are however gifts you give that benefit you more than the receiver. For example, forgiveness. When you give it, you are giving it to yourself as much as you are giving it to them. Jesus said that when we forgive others it means God is forgiving us our wrongs (Matthew 6:14-15).  I once read: “ Heaven is where everyone's forgiven. Hell is where nobody's forgiven.  So, when we forgive we pull heaven down into our lives.  When we withhold forgiveness, we pull hell up into our lives ” Give yourself something nice today, Forgive.
Post a Comment
Read more

Mysterious Ways

    William Cowper didn’t see any reason to live.   He decided that he’d jump off the bridge over the Thames. So, he called a cab to take him there.   But that night in 1763, a thick fog enveloped London. It was so thick the cab driver couldn’t find the bridge and couldn’t even find the way to take William home. In frustration, he ordered the driver to stop and get out to get his bearings. He walked up to the nearest house to read the number and it was William's house. Gone now were William’s thoughts of suicide and instead a new idea came into his head. So, he went in and wrote these words: God moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform. He plants his footsteps in the sea And rides upon the storm.  You fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds you so much dread Are big with mercy and shall break In blessings on your head.     I sometimes wish we could see all the ways God watches over us when need it. There are...
Post a Comment
Read more