Wakey Wakey!
Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. Psalm 57 v 8
Its been a gargantuan effort to get my kids out of their beds the past two days. You never quite know how the morning call to get up Is going to go. Sometimes they roll over and pull the duvet over their head, that’s kids speak for “go away mum I am not getting up”. However there are those rare and precious moments, especially with my son, when I whisper gently “wakey wakey” and he turns over to face me, gives me the biggest smile, then hugs me. I must stress that this does not happen too often, however when it does it just melts my heart.
It reminds me of our response to an ever present Father God. and the fact that the power and presence of God is always with us. As I mediated on this truth today I reflected on my response. Am I sleepy and unresponsive or am I alert and reactive? We too can respond to God like my children in the morning. We can turn away and pretend that he is not there or we can open the eyes of our hearts and embrace him.
My question to myself, and that I put to you today, is how awake are you? This question stirred me to read Psalm 57, here we find David hiding out again from his enemies. On this occasion he is hiding out from Kind Saul in a cave. We can determine from the psalm in verses 1-6 that David is afraid for his life. He describes his enemies as fierce lions looking to devour him. However as we see in many situations David found himself in, a shift takes place and he begins to encourage himself in the Lord once again. He takes his focus off of his troubles and onto God, “my heart is confident in you, Oh God” (v7).
He then goes on in verse 8 to say “awake my soul”. I like the Message translation of this as it reminds me of what I say when I am trying to wake my kids up. It says “wake up, wake up sleepyhead”. Now I doubt very much that David was physically asleep as let’s face it, you have just described your enemies as having teeth that pierce like spears and arrows, and tongues that cut like swords (v4), so I doubt very much if there was any sleeping going on in that cave.
No, David was talking about his soul awakening. He knew that sleepy, half-hearted and luke warm devotions and praise was not acceptable for the Lord God Almighty. So he began to stir up his soul to praise and worship God with his whole being. He began this psalm in a desperate place, fearful and alone. However he called upon the spirit of the living God to come and fill him afresh and his lamenting turned to joy.
I don’t know what situation you find yourself in, however I do know that God responds to the cry of his children. He will awaken your soul to sing just like he did with David. He turns your mourning into gladness. So are you awake today Or are you still sleeping? Why not turn to him today as naturally as you do in waking up into a new day.
“Arise, shine for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you”. Isaiah 60 v 1.
Why not find yourself a quiet place and use the words of Jeremy Riddle’s song Fall Afresh as a prayer: Awaken my soul, come awake To hunger, to seek, to thirst Awaken first love, come awake And do as You did at first Spirit of the Living God come fall afresh on me Come wake me from my sleep Blow through the caverns of my soul Pour in me to overflow, Spirit come and fill this place Let Your glory now invade Spirit come and fill this place Let Your glory now invade
Until Next Time Debbie
