Matthew 26:40-41
40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
I was just reading this tonight in my time alone with the Lord, and this verse stopped me in my tracks. Something struck me in a different way this time; the way I read it was different. After I read "....and found them sleeping" that word sleeping took on deeper meaning. The question welled up in my heart, "How many times does the Lord come and find me sleeping (like "sleep-waking", sleeping while I'm awake)?" "Sleeping" when I could be praying .... "sleeping" when I could be praising ... "sleeping" when I could be soaking in His word. How many times do I say "no" to God, and "yes" to something meaningless, an empty pursuit? "Sleeping" in my walk with him?
My honest answer is too many times, WAY too many times.
Yet, I also know our God is a gracious God. Just the fact that He stopped me in my tracks tonight gives me hope. Hope of a renewed heart, hope of a hungry heart, hope of a heart turning to Him to find my sustenance. As I take time to reflect during this Holy Week, my words seem hollow yet my heart is filled with yearning. It's the call to continue to dive deeper into His presence, His word, His very being. It's a call to live awake to HIM.
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3 comments:
Thank God for His living Word. A neat WFW ~ Thanks for visiting tonight and for sharing about that verse. Thank God for His healing Word. Blessings ~
Thanks for your visit Tracy. I was so tired last night I did not do my usual visit with everyone and am still busy tonight, but wanted to say...great to meet you.
And the sleeping, the busy ant and the sluggard are all words that challenge me, as I am older and in a lot of pain.....hard to know when sleep is needed and when it is an indulgence.
I am glad you love the song. It is so special. It is on UTube if you have not heard the music.
It is our challenge to remain vigilant about this but God also does not expect perfection from us and as long as we are doing the best we can at each moment we are doing all we can.
Love how you make me think about such a simple word so deeply
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