Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor, Jerusalem, the holy city.
Isaiah 52:1
Rise and Shine!
Wake-up calls aren’t always pleasant, but they are necessary. The sound of the early morning alarm can be a shock to your system when you’re sleeping peacefully. However, it’s even more unpleasant when you miss the alarm and realize you’re late. You missed your flight, or you’re late for work.
God gives plenty of wake-up calls in the Bible. They may not sound pleasant, but they are necessary. God seeks to wake us up from indifference or ignorance concerning the problem of sin. We can’t just sleep it off and think it will go away. Missing these wake-up calls would be eternally devastating. We must be woken up to our greatest need that only God can meet.
Other times, waking up can bring relief. When you wake from a nightmare, you are relieved. When a child is troubled in the middle of the night and afraid of the dark, what a relief when morning comes and they see the sun. Once we shake off the sleep and see the bright new day, we face that day with excitement.
This is the goal of God’s wake-up calls. He seeks to wake us up not only so we can see the reality of sin, but ultimately so we can see his forgiveness and the new life he gives. Today’s Bible verse from Isaiah is not the thunderous voice of an angry God. It’s the voice of the compassionate Father calling his children to wake up to a bright new day. He has come to set people free and rescue them from the bondage of sin and death. He has come to give new and eternal life.
The Lord awakens souls from spiritual slumber by his powerful word so they can rise and shine. He scatters the darkness and sets sinners free from guilt. He clothes his children in the clean garments of his Son’s perfection. He covers them with his gracious and compassionate love through his Son, Jesus Christ, so they can face this day and this life with the greatest confidence. Rise and shine each day to the voice and promises of the compassionate Father!
Prayer:
Lord, as I hear your Word, keep me awake and alert to your compassion so that I may rise and shine for you. Amen.
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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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