Wide Awake Faith
Hey, there, friend, come on up here on this ol’ front porch and sit yourself right down. Well, I do declare, it’s sho’-nuff’ a sight for sore eyes to see you today. If you could hear that cranky ol’ bullfrog fussin’ at a turtle that keeps bumpin’ him off his favorite lily pad or smell them apple fritters coolin’ right over there on the windowsill, you’d know you’ve walked right into a place where your spirit can breathe deep. Let’s settle in and chew on a truth that’s as serious as an ol’ hoot owl starin’ down a mouse. Revelation 3:2–3 says, “Wake up. Strengthen what remains and is about to die.”. And right along it is Romans 13:11, which tells us, “It is high time to awake out of sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.” These two verses fit together real good like two porch beams holding up the same ol’ cabin roof.
Now, friend, fallin’ asleep at the wheel ain’t just somethin’ that happens on a long stretch of highway. It can sho’-nuff’ happen in our walk with Christ, too. One minute we’re wide awake, singin’ praises louder than a lil’ ol’ rooster greetin’ the sunrise. The next minute we’re driftin’ off, spiritually noddin’ like a farm dog that’s been chasin’ rabbits all day. The Lord warns us to stay alert because driftin’ leads to real danger. Just like that car hittin’ rumble strips, God sometimes lets our lives git a good bump and shake to wake us up before we git to crashin’ into somethin’ we never saw comin’.
The truth is, we can start out real strong. We can be sho’-nuff’ excited, committed, ready to follow Jesus with the enthusiasm of a lil’ ol’ squirrel discoverin’ a fresh pile of acorns. But if we ain’t real careful, our fire plum cools. Our focus downright slips. Our spiritual eyes git real heavy. Revelation 3:3 tells us, “Remember what we have received and heard, hold it fast, and repent.” Romans 13:11 reminds us, “Waking up spiritually is urgent. God is calling us to shake off the sleep and reignite our love for Him.”
Father, wake us up where we have grown dull. Strengthen what remains in us. Help us remember Your truth, hold it tight, and turn from anything that pulls us away from You. Keep our hearts alert and our spirits alive. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Alright now, friend, as you stroll on off from here and right on into your next adventure, carry this here wake-up call like a bright lantern that plum refuses to dim even when the fog rolls in. Let God’s truth jolt you awake the way a startled ol’ pheasant leaps from the brush. Choose alertness over driftin’, and let your faith stand firm like a sturdy ol’ barn that has weathered a hundred storms. Walk forward with the steady confidence of an ol’ trail horse that sho’-nuff’ knows exactly where it’s goin’, trustin’ the Lord to keep your hands on the wheel and your heart wide awake.
With joy,
Gwen
