Today, a few thoughts are rumbling through my head. The first has to deal with my old athletic days. I can recall the half-time of some football games where our coach became unglued.
The words that I can still hear him say was: “WAKE UP!”
Evidently, we were sleeping walking. Ok, actually we weren’t playing to our potential and coach was trying to snap us into playing the game much better.
Another thought was on a sad, sad night in a garden called, Gethsemane. It was there, you’ll remember, that Jesus and the disciples went to, after they had celebrated the Passover, and Jesus instituted the Eucharist. This would be the place where Judas and the soldiers would come to arrest Jesus and start the whole process of putting Him to death on the cross.
Before Judas arrived, Jesus was praying. He had asked His disciples to join Him in prayer but each time He returned from His prayer, He found them asleep. His question was simple… “Couldn’t you stay awake one hour and pray?” In other words, “WAKE UP!” Can you imagine the scene? Jesus, in the inner circle of the garden, heavy and distraught – and for good reason. And the disciples, sound asleep, tummies full, blissfully unaware of the torment their Savior was enduring. Powerful!
That all crossed my mind this morning as I read these words…
“You know what sort of times we live in, and so you should live properly. It is time to wake up. You should know the day when we will be saved is nearer now than when we first put our faith in the Lord.” Romans 13:11 CEV
Did you catch that? The man writing this, Paul, was telling the people then, and us today, to “WAKE UP!”
He was sounding the alarm that today we are one more day closer to our salvation than we were yesterday. Time just isn’t marching on. We aren’t just getting older. The years aren’t passing by quicker. We are that much closer to the day of our salvation than we ever were before. “Salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.” He was trying to get us to “WAKE UP,” from the slumber of our routine life which has lulled us to sleep. The life that is more focused on the things of this world than the coming of the King.
Here’s my word of encouragement for you today
You guessed it – “WAKE UP!” See each new day through the eyes of God. See what He sees. Take notice of His presence in your life. Recognize the beauty of His creation. Observe the power of His hand leading and guiding you. Witness for yourself His protection, His providence, His promises and His peace. We truly are, one more day closer to the day of our salvation. Praise God!
Father,
I want to be awakened by Your love, mercy and grace today. Help me to live this day and every day for You. In Jesus name I ask this, Amen.
—Rev. Dr. MM Marxhausen
Mark was Spiritual Director for VdC from 2016 to 2019. He's written many of the devotions, especially the Devote and Affirm series, found on this website.
