Lyric: “Glory’s waiting
Outside your window
So wake on up from your slumber
And open up your eyes”
Song/Album: “Slumber” / The Reckoning
Artist: NeedToBreathe
Writers: Bo Rinehart and Bear Rinehart
Scripture: “Therefore it is said, ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light’ … Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:14 & 17)
“And when [Jesus] returned, He found [Peter, James and John] asleep again, for their eyes were heavy…”
(Mark 14:40)
Reflection: I love the picture painted by the words in Mark 14:40! Jesus and his disciples had just eaten their Passover meal, complete with wine. It was night, it was dark, and “the boys” (as I like to call them) were sleepy. Sound familiar?
The Lord understands our need for sleep and mentions in Scripture the blessing of “sweet” sleep (Prov. 3:24). Yet there are also warnings of too much sleep that can lead to poverty (Prov. 6:10-11). Usually references of awaking and arising from sleep are both literal and figurative. What does this mean for us?
God wants us to be alert and attentive, in tune to what He is doing in and around us. He wants us to be watching, waiting, and praying. He desires that we have clarity of mind and strength of mind and body. He aspires for us to rise up and stand up; to abide, accomplish, and succeed! Being awake and arising conveys all of this, and is key in discerning the will of the Lord for our lives.
Glory is waiting outside our windows. Sometimes our present realities are daunting, but we are strengthened in the process of pressing on. And our real strength – our true help – comes from the LORD. After all, the God of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.
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