asleep – Praying Pint

51.c. Wilderness – 15.i. “Chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession”

Deu 14:1-2  “You are the sons of the LORD your God. You shall not cut yourselves or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead. For you are a people holy to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

John 1:12    But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

Jeremiah 3:19   “‘I said, How I would set you among my sons, and give you a pleasant land, a heritage most beautiful of all nations. And I thought you would call me, My Father, and would not turn from following me.

1 Thessalonians 4:13     But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

“The cutting of the body and the shaving of the head were common mourning rites in the ancient Near East and are referred to in many places in the Old Testament (Isaiah 3:24; 15:2; 22:12; Jeremiah 16:6; 41:5; Ezekiel 7:18; Amos 8:10; Micah 1:16).” (Thompson)

Among Christians today, there is something wrong if our burial customs are just as the rituals of the ungodly. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:13: But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. We may certainly mourn the passing of our loved ones, but as those who have eternal hope in Jesus, we should be different in our mourning. (Guzik)

Ye are not only the creatures, and the offspring, but the peculiar people, the worshippers, the servants, and those of you that are truly pious, the adopted children of Jehovah, the one living and true God, who is your God in covenant; and therefore you should not dishonour him, your heavenly Father, nor disparage yourselves, by unworthy or unbecoming practices. (Benson)

God’s people are required to be holy, and if they are holy, they are indebted to the grace God which makes them so. Those whom God chooses to be his children, he will form to be a holy people, and zealous of good works. They must be careful to avoid every thing which might disgrace their profession, in the sight of those who watch for their halting. (Henry)

Ye are the children of the Lord your God,…. Some of them were so by the special grace of adoption, and all of them by national adoption; which was the peculiar privilege of the people of Israel, and laid them under great obligation to honour and obey the Lord their God, who stood in the relation of a father to them, and they of children to him. (Gill)

The Israelites were not only to suffer no idolatry to rise up in their midst, but in all their walk of life to show themselves as a holy nation of the Lord. (Keil)

40.e. “But we do not want you to be uninformed”

Genesis 50:1 Then Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him. And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.

Genesis 23:2     And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

Mark 5:38-39    They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.

John 11:35-36     Jesus wept.  So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

Acts 8:2     Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him.

1 Thessalonians 4:13     But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

Though pious relatives and friends have lived to a good old age, and we are confident they are gone to glory, yet we may regret our own loss, and pay respect to their memory by lamenting them. Grace does not destroy, but it purifies, moderates, and regulates natural affection. The departed soul is out of the reach of any tokens of our affection; but it is proper to show respect to the body, of which we look for a glorious and joyful resurrection, whatever may become of its remains in this world. Thus Joseph showed his faith in God, and love to his father. He ordered the body to be embalmed, or wrapped up with spices, to preserve it. (Henry)

With the loss of a sibling, parent, spouse, or child there are so many emotions that flood our hearts and minds. None of these ever reach the ear of the departed. None of these emotions of loss, love, sorrow, and heartache will be heard by those departed. It is natural to mourn the loss of a loved one or to mourn with a friend who has lost a loved one. Many times our sorrow in their death is because we have left some things unsaid or undone. Maybe we haven’t communicated to them just how much they meant to us or how much they have influenced our lives. We may have had hopes for their lives. We mourn and it is natural. The loss of a loved one hurts our heart. Nothing could hurt the heart more than a loved one who dies not knowing or committing to God’s love, grace, and mercy through Jesus Christ. Let it be our goal to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all we say, think, and do, and when our time on earth is complete and there is mourning for our passing, let it be short-lived and turned into rejoicing and praise because we have passed from death to life with our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

21.d. “And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

Romans 13:11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.

Matthew 16:3   And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

Matthew 24:42-44    Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-3    Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you.  For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.  While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

Revelation 22:12   “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.

Revelation 22:20   He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

Matthew 25:5-7   As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.

Mark 13:35-37   Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—  lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.  And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

1 Corinthians 15:34  Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

1 Corinthians 7:29-31   This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short.

2 Peter 3:13-15   But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.  Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.

Because we know the danger of the times and we anticipate the soon return of Jesus, we should be all the more energetic and committed to a right walk with God instead of a sleep-walk with God. People talk in their sleep, walk in their sleep, hear things in their sleep, and even think in their sleep (dreaming). We can do many religious or things that seem right in our own eyes and still be asleep toward God, it is important for every Christian to make sure they are truly awake and active in their life before God. (Guzik)

It is a very dangerous state of mind to be in, seemingly being awake. People who see you might even think you are awake. You do things that would give the appearance that you are awake. You say things that sound like you are awake. But in all truth and reality, you are asleep in and to things of God. When we sleep we are resting our bodies and mind. While we sleep we are not aware of things that happen or that have happened. We can wake to find a severe storm has come and gone in the night. How many times have you heard, “I slept right through it”? “Didn’t hear a thing.” We may even say that it was a good night’s sleep. We may say that we slept like a baby. Though our mortal minds and bodies need sleep and rest, our spiritual should never be in that state. From the morning to evening our spiritual awareness should never be found asleep. “Study God’s Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night…”, “but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law, he meditates day and night.” “I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.”

What are the signs of being asleep? Neglect, complacency, paying little to no attention, disregard, ignore, set aside, lazy, self-worth, self-reliance, pride, contentment, carelessness, self-contentment. When we are asleep to things of God and the Word of God we become more and more spiritually unaware. What we do, what we say, and what we think looks like those who, for all practical application, are in a comma concerning things of God and His Word. Though our fleshly bodies and minds need sleep our spiritual lives do not and should not ever be in the state of sleep. Jesus gave warnings about being found asleep when He returns. Paul gave warnings about being found asleep and gave encouraging words to stand fast, remain true, every grown in our knowledge and understanding of Jesus Christ, keeping our eyes focused on Jesus, continually be looking and anticipating Christ’s return. The day is coming. Jesus is returning. Will He find you asleep?

12.c. “It will surely come; it will not delay.”

Habakkuk 2:2 “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.

Daniel 8:19 He said, “Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end.

Acts 1:7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.

Daniel 11:27 And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed.

Psalms 27:14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

Isaiah 30:18 Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.

Micah 7:7 But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

James 5:7-8 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

2 Peter 2:3 Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

The news these days seems to relish in digging up as much mud as they can. They throw it on the clear water of life and then continue to stir it up, mix it up, and cloud it up to the point where it is impossible to see worth in anything at all. The muddy waters are a mixture of half-truths and sometimes lies. It is hard to tell their intent or to what purpose they are focused on. Much of the mud they cloud the waters of life with, most hearers would never have heard of unless these pessimistic and “the sky is falling” proclaimers had told them. We do well to keep the likes of them out of our heads.

Habakkuk is told to make the vision plain and understandable. Make it so plain that the people who read it will run away/turn away from that which is causing what is proclaimed to be coming. Even so, there are many who read and hear it and give it no continued thought. It is as though they don’t believe it at all or say it will never happen in my lifetime so why think about it. Or, they may think that they have time for doing something about it later. All of these lead to a life that forfeits the grace, mercy, and love of God. It allows a person to think there is no danger in waiting and there is no consequence for waiting, and no worry in waiting. All of which is false. The time of salvation is NOW. The time of God’s grace, mercy, and love are NOW. Jesus Christ is coming again, soon. No one knows when death will knock on their door. No one knows when their end will come. It could be today, tomorrow, or years from now. Trust me, many people have waited for another time to trust in Jesus Christ and have died before they thought they would. The day of salvation is NOW. Right NOW. Just because you see no imminent danger does not mean it is not there. Don’t allow the things and news of this world to muddy up your vision of the need for Jesus Christ. Do not allow this muddiness to rob you of purpose in this life and eternal life in heaven.

What can the Almighty do to us?

Genesis 7:23 He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark.

Job 22:15-17 Will you keep to the old way that wicked men have trod? They were snatched away before their time; their foundation was washed away. They said to God, ‘Depart from us,’ and ‘What can the Almighty do to us?’

Matthew 24:37-39 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

2Peter 2:3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;

Isaiah 1:9 If the LORD of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah.

Ezekiel 16:49-50 Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Isaiah 2:11-12 The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. For the LORD of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low;

Obadiah 1:3-4 The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, “Who will bring me down to the ground?” Though you soar aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring you down, declares the LORD.

Living like there is no God, no coming judgment, no accountability, no hell, no purpose other than self, as in the past, will undoubtedly seem normal and good enough reason to live for personal satisfaction and self indulgence.

Many examples have been written about that should give mankind pause in self pursuit, pleasure, pride, lust, greed, anger, and coveting. Every culture of the world seems to find more and more ways to distant themselves from and anger and stir the wrath of God.

Do you ever wonder if, as the man moves further and further away from God, those who are called of God see the ungodliness more clearly or do they just become immune to see it or think about it? Do our eyes become blind and our ears deaf to the sin knocking down the very foundation pillars of morality? How can one remain sensitive to things of God when at every corner of life there is another cultural adoption of things contrary to God’s expectation? It is not easy unless time is spent with Him and in His word.

Where have the days, when fire and brimstone, coming judgement, sin, consequences, need for a savior, repentance, been spoken about with urgency? Has all of God’s truth been morally diluted to the point of non-existence in the lives of many? What does God have to do to in a life, family, city, and nation to prove this all true when He has already given us many examples of what has happened in past cultures.

I fear that the truth of the warnings and examples don’t seem to be enough to call people to make an eternal consequence life change. Believing and seeking to honor God each day and speaking of His grace, love, and mercy and warning of His wrath, anger and judgment is more and more urgent. The need for redemption, salvation, and the need of saving us from our hell bound sinful nature is a truth that comes with many examples and warnings.

“making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly“

“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly“

“For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man“

“I will bring you down, declares the LORD.”

“Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment“

“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire“

The steadfast love of God reached out to us at a great cost through Christ.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”

To live rejecting this love and giving no regard to His warnings of judgment convicts the soul with eternal separation and torment for eternity. Do not become so calloused by moral decline of the culture that you seem it a waste to speak of His love, warnings, and examples of both to the lost. We have opportunity everyday.

Even the valiant man

“Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distres”

Psalms 107:23 Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep. For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits’ end. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

Psalms 95:5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

Psalms 104:24-27 O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great. There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it. These all look to you, to give them their food in due season.

Job 38:8-11 “Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?

Psalms 135:7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

Jonah 1:4 But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.

Matthew 8:24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.

2 Samuel 17:10 Then even the valiant man, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will utterly melt with fear

Nahum 2:10 Desolate! Desolation and ruin! Hearts melt and knees tremble; anguish is in all loins; all faces grow pale!

Romans 1:20-21 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Acts 27:23-25 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.

Jonah 1:16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD

How many times do we need to read of God’s awesome power, divine nature, wisdom, and His control of His creation before we believe it, run to Him, trust in Him and cling to Him. Do we need to have our world shaken to the point where we are utterly helpless and fearful of our lives before we run to Him? It is good to spend time in His word, learn of Him, be taught of Him, be led by Him, and rest and trust in His every loving arms. Let your day be filled with hope, joy, peace, rest and love as you yield more and more to Him.