Stay Awake - Daily Devotional August 18th, 2009

Daily Bible Reading Plan - 1 Kings 13, Jeremiah 39, Mark 13

Stay Awake

Many might not like the title of today's devotional because let's be honest, there are some people out there that like their beauty rest. Before you cast this devotional aside too quickly let me clarify what Stay Awake means. It means alert, on watch, looking out and not being caught off guard.

Being caught off guard can happen to all of us from time to time but in the context of your spirituality and faith being caught of guard can be deadly. Mark 13:32-37 is cautioning us to be on alert because none of us know the day and the hour in which Jesus Christ will return for His people. It is telling us that we should make sure we are living right and in right standing before God so that if He should return we will be ready for Him. The conclusion of Mark 13 is seen in the final words of this chapter, "Stay awake".

Staying awake is really a personal responsibility thing and if we get caught off guard we only have ourselves to blame. In Mark 13:5-6 it reads, "And Jesus began to say to them, "See that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray." We must take personal responsibility for our own faith to make sure that we are not led astray by false movements. We must listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and make sure we are taking what we hear through the filter of the Bible. When we do not take personal responsibility and listen and head the voice of God we end up in captivity like those in Jeremiah 39 or we can even end up like the unknown prophet in 1 Kings 13.

1 Kings 13 is such an unusual chapter to me but what we can derive from it is that not staying awake and alert can be deadly. In this passage a prophet of God has a directive from the Lord himself. If he listens to this directive he will survive and if not an uncertain fate awaits him. As the story progresses we see another man proclaiming to be a man of God come and lie to the prophet and gets the prophet to do exactly what he was warned by God not to do. This disobedience on behalf of the prophet lead to his death. We are warned of this happening in Mark 13:12, "and brother will deliver brother over to death. We see the warning again in Mark 13:22, For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect." These warnings are all speaking the same thing, make sure you hear and obey the voice of God. Stay on alert and stay awake.

The Prophets death in 1 Kings 13 is so unusual and so sudden and speaks so loud to us today to examine areas in our lives that we are not staying awake in. It cautions us to make sure we are not being lead astray by people who profess to have our best interests in mind but really are seeking their own well being. It causes us to examine and make sure we are staying on target with holiness and the destiny that God has instilled inside of us. So as you read this devotional today what areas are you needing to wake up in and make sure you are on target with God's design. I leave with this conclusion and the conclusion that Mark 13 leaves us with, Stay Awake.

Thanks for listening.

Tomorrows Bible Reading - 1 Kings 14, Jeremiah 40, Mark 14

Dream Big
Ben