Stay awake!

While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. . . So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.
1 Thessalonians 5:3,6

We’ve all dozed off at some point. Sitting in front of the TV is one thing, but what if you’re behind the wheel? Your eyelids start to get heavy. Everyone else in the car is sleeping. It’s taking all you have to stay awake. You nod off and hit the rumble strips. In that situation, falling asleep could be deadly. Being spiritually awake means trusting in Jesus for salvation. Spiritually dozing off means our attention and faith start to drift away from him. This can be spiritually deadly.

Another thing happens when we drift off to sleep. You start to dream and lose touch with reality. Some dream of a “peace and safety” apart from Jesus— “I’m at peace, I’m doing my best.” Some dream of a better life apart from God’s plan and design. Wake up! The rumble strips of God’s Word wake us up to reality: The day is coming and this world won’t last forever. Our lives in this world don’t last forever. It’s time to stay awake!

But how? When you’re on a road trip you need help staying awake—snacks to munch on, tunes to listen to, a friend who stays awake with you. Jesus, the one who awakens our souls to the reality of his forgiveness, keeps us awake on our way home to heaven. He puts other believers in our lives to stay awake with us and encourage us along the way. When we start to drift, we can tune our hearts to his promise of salvation and tune out the empty promises of this world. He is with us, and he neither slumbers nor sleeps.

Prayer:

Lord, when I drift, steer me back to you. When I become tired and alone, remind me that you are with me. Amen.

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