Wake Up, O Sleeper!

There are many wonders in this world, but have you ever wondered ...Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin? ...Why women can’t put on mascara with their mouth closed? ...Why don’t you ever see the headline: “Psychic Wins Lottery”? ...Why “abbreviated” is such a long word? ...Why doctors call what they do “practice”? ...Why lemon juice is made with artificial flavor, while dishwashing liquid is made with real lemons? ...Why the person who invests all your money is called a “Broker”? ...Why there isn’t mouse flavored cat food? ...Who tastes dog food when it has a “new and improved” flavor? ...Why Noah didn’t swat those mosquitoes? ...Why sheep don’t shrink when it rains? ...Why they are called apartments when they are clearly stuck together? ...If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress? I really wonder about that one.

[Ecclesiastes 7:13-14] “Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.” Have you ever noticed how impossible it is to forecast the future? I’m sure lots of folks happily sank a lot of cash into Enron stock...right before it became worthless. Think of any sports draft. Michael Jordan was selected third overall in the 1984 NBA Draft. Sam Bowie was taken #2 that year. Sam never had a shoe named after him and I don’t think the folks at Gatorade ever cared whether or not he drank their product. A lot of NFL fans in Houston are angrily second-guessing the powers-that-be for drafting Mario Williams instead of Reggie Bush or Vince Young. The Beatles got turned down by MCA Records. MCA thought groups with guitars were on the way out. I’d say they missed that one. Where have you missed it? I’m glad that as Christians we are blessed with some clear information about the future. First of all, as Christians we are closer than we have ever been! The cosmic countdown marches on, and only the Father knows how close we are to our reward (Mark 13:31-33). Every step into another day is a step closer to the fullness of our salvation. Romans 13:11-12 says, “And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because your salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” We are steadily moving toward a divine appointment. You may be building a house you’ll never live in. You may be making plans to take a trip you’ll never take because the Lord has other “travel plans” arranged for you. We are closer than we have ever been to our departure for what lies beyond the grave. In Christ, we can eagerly wait and anticipate the coming day when we will celebrate. Secondly, it is later than it has ever been. We have less time to accomplish our mission. Jesus said, as recorded in John 9:4-5, “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” It was true for Jesus and it is true for us: the time to shine is right now while we are still in the world. Be faithful and courageous! We are closer than we have ever been. Let’s present to a lost world the plea of the crucified carpenter who wants to build something beautiful out of the broken lives of sinners. Knowing it is later than it has ever been, we can help turn the tide of tomorrow’s tears into the joy of sweet forgiveness and salvation. Today is the day!