STRENGTH FOR THE WEEK: Flood Church’s Weekly Devotional

SERIES 1: The Voice of God

A Waking Voice

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“Stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” (Matthew 24:42)

 

Are you asleep or awake?

 

There is a difference between being asleep and being awake. You already know this because like you have done on many mornings, you woke up and it is definitely very different from being asleep. The main difference is that being awake means being consciously aware. For starters, when I am awake, I am aware of my condition, and so I am able to tell that my teeth need brushing, my body needs bathing, my hair needs combing, and my body needs clothing. By contrasts, while I was asleep, all of these things were still true about my condition, but I was not aware of them.

 

Apart from my condition, I am also aware of my situation, and so I am able to tell whether or not I am in the dark, whether or not I am surrounded, whether or not I am late, and whether or not I am loved. While I was asleep, the situation I was in was real, but I simply was not aware of it. Thirdly, being awake also makes me aware of my limitations. While I am asleep, I may have the most fantastic dreams of what I can do for myself or for others. I may have dreams in which I can fly or turn into a tree or play violins on the moon. People who are asleep have the luxury of overestimating their abilities and underestimating their limitations. People who are awake have no such luxury. To be awake is to be aware of your true condition, your true situation, and your true limitation.

 

So the question is: Are you awake or asleep? Are you becoming more and more aware of what God says your true condition is, or what God says your true situation is, or what God says your true limitation is? God never sleeps, and so he is always fully aware of what your true condition, situation, and limitation is. But are you aware of this? And if you are, are you becoming more and more aware of this? Because if you are not aware of it, if you can’t tell that for yourself, if you need someone else to tell you what your spiritual condition, situation, or limitation is, then it’s likely that you are still asleep. Now there is nothing wrong with sleeping when the darkness falls, but when the sun has risen, it is time to wake up. Isaiah the Prophet says, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you?” (Isa. 60:1) So if God has caused his Son to rise upon you, what will it take to wake you up? Jesus is your light and he has come to wake you up, so don’t just wake up. Stay awake. Stay aware. Don’t sleep.

 

-Keep the Faith