We’re tired, so tired
Just quickly, I received an email this morning from a very dear friend of mine. And I know that she and others like her are getting very, very weary. I am too! As I was about to reply to her, I was reminded of the following scriptures.
This post is for all of those out there who are feeling tired and worn by the constant attacks on the Body of Christ…
We are constantly reminded to wake up. The disciples became heavy hearted and fell asleep during the night watch. Jesus said that they should stay awake so not too fall into temptation…
Luk 22:4546 And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
Jesus told them three times about not sleeping…I guess he really means it… it is very important…
Mar 14:3742 When he went back, he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? You couldn’t stay awake for one hour, could you? All of you must stay awake and pray that you won’t come into temptation. The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak.” He went away again and prayed the same prayer as before. Again he came back and found them asleep, for their eyes were very heavy. They didn’t even know what they should say to him. He came back a third time and said to them, “You might as well keep on sleeping and resting. Enough of that! The time has come. Look! The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up! Let’s go! See, the one who is betraying me is near!”
Interesting that just before Peter saw the transfiguration he was heavy with sleep…
Luk 9:32 Now Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.
How about this from the commentary on this verse, very interesting that they were scarcely awake and it was difficult for them to wake up even by the ray of his light…
[...]and when they were awake, The Syriac version reads, “scarcely awake”; they were so heavy with sleep, that it was with difficulty they were awaked out of it, even by the rays of light and glory that were about them. The Ethiopic version adds, “suddenly”; such a lustre darted from these glorious forms, especially from the body of Christ, as at once surprised them out of their sleep; and being thoroughly awake,
The heaviness is something that we are feeling from the toil of the day…
Heavy with sleep - Borne down with sleep - oppressed, overcome with sleep. It may seem remarkable that they should fall asleep on such an occasion; but we are to bear in mind that this may have been in the night, and that they were weary with the toils of the day.
The reason why we are finding it hard to keep awake is because the groom is late, this from the parable of the ten virgins
Mat 25:5 Since the groom was late, all of them became sleepy and lay down.
Why is He late…?
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
We are definitely living in the last days. Although I think we are on the cusp of darkness, and we haven’t really entered into the third watch of the night, maybe we are on the edge of night? God Help us, give us strength!
Related Article:
- Women On The Watch It is my hopeful conjecture - you sisters who so keenly resolve to press the exposure of apostasy’s proliferations and false christs and prophets at the close of the age–will, without hesitation, as the Spirit illuminates His Word to you, provide insight into the times of the Gentiles and their final fulfillment. Increasingly, I see incredible parallels to the content of your insightful declarations - as well as the formidable courage in Christ whereby you singularly and collectively provide such insight and warning to the Body of Christ… God bless you all as you unreservedly take up the challenge as God’s Deborahs at the close of the age–a stark differential to the Harlot Who rides the Beast! “—D.K.
Good post Vee
I almost could have cried at the title….so many of us are weary and ‘tired’. If we give in to it, apathy and slumber will overtake us. We can’t allow that to happen.
Fighting the good fight can take its toll, but praise God His Spirit strengthens us, right at the moment when we think we can no longer carry on! praise God!
Very timely and encouraging Vee. Thanks.
Thank you for the article, Vee. It made me recall a talk by Ravi where he gave an incredible illustration of an experience that meant a lot to me. It had to do with waiting on the Lord in a very personal way. He shared a saying that they have in India, that I have never forgotten: “When the bride is ready, the bridegroom will come.” ( If any of you are familiar with Indian weddings, tradition has the groom riding a white horse to the house where the bride is awaiting him. ) This has meant a great deal to me as I wait on the answers to my personal prayers and for the day of the Lord’s return. There are many times that the Holy Spirit has prayed for me “with groanings unuttered” when I couldn’t pray. And there are still other times when I have felt the “wings of the eagles” helping me mount up from weariness. Every little act of faith, the Lord sees and supplies the rest of the effort, helping us press on and mature. I take even more comfort that the prodigals we pray for and cannot see any chance for with the naked eye, our Lord sees inside their soul to the “bruised reed” and the “smoking flax” if each are there and He will support the reed and fan the smallest spark into a flaming fire for us and them. I even sometimes recall the old film, Gone With the Wind and that wonderful scene where they are nursing soldiers in the hospital and Scarlett, ever the party girl, asks Melanie if she is tired and Melanie says no. She looks about her and tells Scarlett that she imagines each and every soldier to be her husband, Ashley, with only strangers to care and comfort him. She then says: “No, I’m not tired, Scarlett, They could all be Ashley.” I think there is a lot of woman wisdom in that attitude and a lot of what its like to stave off the weariness: keeping our focus on the Lord. That is what I often hear His still, small voice say to me: “Look up”.
Thanks Vee for this encouragement, as I too have felt the weariness you speak of this week. Our family and friends feel as if we are on the front lines of the battle, and our backup has deserted us some days, but then I am reminded that we have
an army of heavenly warriors who are fighting alongside us, and protecting us. Praise God that we will soon have rest from this world, and all the struggles that go along with it. I am holding both You and Carla in my prayers, and for everybody else who is in the thick of things. We all need reminders to keep our eyes on Jesus. may God bless you as you contend for the truth, and give you strength for the difficult years ahead!
I would like to thank everyone who has commented and those who have not commented but have prayed for the body of Christ.
Your thoughts and prayers are coveted and very much appreciated!
Vee
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, “(Hebrews 10:23-24 ESV)
It is so encouraging to see you ladies stand fast for what you know is true. It’s so unpopular to appear to be “against everything” these days! But, these are truly perilous times. As I heard one young lady say, “It would be easier to die for Christ than to live for Him today.”
I sometimes get discouraged about the current state of things, too. It seems to be so difficult to know where to begin when trying to explain the gospel to someone. Don’t get me wrong….I know there’s simplicity in Christ, but there are SO many paths presented to new (and old) believers these days. We see these churches come along that seem to grow exponentially overnight and hope and pray it’s because they are truly converting people.
But, too often, it just turns out to be a church that’s different and “cool” enough to draw people out from their stale, dead Laodecian churches into one that is just as dead, but doesn’t know it. God is judging His church already. Those who still love sin, but want to avoid punishment without taking up the cross of true repentance, are being winnowed out into these popular churches, I believe.
May Deborahs like yourselves keep praying and keep us all awake as Vee’s article so clearly shows we must.
Thanks and God bless you all!
“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” (Ephesians 6:13 ESV)
I’m not much of a commenter but I have to say this much here.
re: “I know there’s simplicity in Christ, but there are SO many paths presented to new (and old) believers these days. We see these churches come along that seem to grow exponentially overnight and hop and pray it’s because they are truly converting people.” They are converting people, but what are they converting them to? To me it is simply mind boggling what is presented as the gospel. I have only been a Christian eight years but Thank God, I was given discernment and was able to pull myself out of almost going into some of this stuff hook line and sinker. Our God is faithful to us. Watchmen on the wall is what you are and God will give you the strength to continue to do so. I just simply want to say thank you.
They are converting people, but what are they converting them to?
Now, that’s a good point… I remember someone saying, whatever you were saved by is what you were saved to.
So, if you have not heard the the Word — that being the whole council of God — and we all know that faith comes by hearing the Word, then you have not been saved by the Word. Or something like that. If people are being seduced by what they think is the Word but clearly it is not, then what of these people?
das1217, how were you given discernment, was discernment given to you because you tested all things against the Word of God? Just curious is all. Or was it that you continue to contend for the faith because you have realised that you have to work out your salvation in fear and trembling?
Php 2:12 So then, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
Is this a mark of true servant hood?
And by the way… thanks for your encouragement, may I also encourage you in your walk!
Vee
Vee,
I believe that discernment is something God gives to those who ask Him for wisdom, as James 1:5 suggests. Very many today hardly know their Bibles, so how many of those do you think actually know what discernment is? They have nothing to compare to what they are told! I am sure that God will say something like this at the Judgment “I gave you free access, many translations, and education, yet you ignored your own salvation!” No one in the free world will have any excuse for not knowing the truth.
I believe Christ makes it very evident that the people who will be saved are those with “ears to hear”, i.e., good and honest hearts. So many rely on family tradition as in “I was raised in the church”, or “I was baptized and confirmed”, not realizing that baptism follows, rather than precedes, belief and repentance. But, they’d know the truth if they sought it out.
NW… thanks for that!
I notice that you quickly point to the Bible… obviously the Word of God is our measuring tool.
So many teachers would say that wisdom comes from an experiential walk, and base their wisdom on subjective methods.
Vee
Vee and NW,
Your comments made me think of the loving warning in Hosea 4:5: “My people perish for lack of knowledge.” Everybody is greatful for a warning…if they are looking for it: the weather for ball games or hurricane warnings for those living where the danger is forknown. But those seeking pleasure are usually resentful of a warning. It spoils the fun or the plans. Yet this is the territory we are given and from which we have come. I reflect on a difficult day myself with reading the “Bible verse of the Day”: ‘ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”- 1 Corinthians 13: 6-7 I think the thing that jumped out at me tonight is the tone of that first sentence. It’s so easy to get carried away with the “not delighting in evil” part. It reaches out and convicts me of any self -righteousness lurking behind my steady walk: I WANT to say a secret ‘yeah!’ I do not delight in evil! But…am I rejoicing with the truth so much that I need (as does Paul) to qualify that rejoicing so that no one mistakes it for a seeming excuse of evil? Because that’s what its really saying. There is a difference that emanates from a truly “rejoiced walk” and that of the one who “walks good”. I think its so distinct as to be the same as when Jesus says that his “sheep know His voice”. When I worry as I have tonight about this cacaphony of “church voices” who rely on their own wisdom and the degrading integrity of what they preach and wonder how the lost will hear our Master’s “voice” or recognize true preaching from the false, I realize how much I have to do with learning that it is learning to be in that “rejoiced walk” more than anything else that will make the difference for myself and those who watch and listen to my preaching. Then I can truly “..always protects, always trust, always hope, always persevere.” I’m not saying, I’m there yet where I know He wants me to be, but I sense its got to be more of a shock to an evil system to see children laughing under the sun in such a wicked playground. As Will Durant once said: “Nothing educates like a shock.”
Melly