Eyes Open

""Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. "Couldn't you men keep watch with Me for one hour?" He asked Peter"- Matthew 26:40 (NIV).

Jesus didn't say, "Couldn't you men keep watch for one hour." This is the first time I contemplated the 'watch with Me' part of His question to Peter. Jesus didn't just want His followers to watch, but watch with Him. At first blush, you might think Jesus wasn't wanting to be alone, these His final hours, but I think He was thinking of them. They were about to go through a very traumatic event...and they were sleeping. They should have been watching for their own accord. We are never quite as anxious, fearful, or excited when it doesn't concern us or we think it's not pertinent to our well-being. But, when the shoe is on the other foot, sleep isn't going to pull us under its spell. In fact, sleep would be hard to find, just as it was for Jesus. Jesus had given them warnings that the the Shepherd would be struck and the sheep scattered (Matthew 26:31). Jesus had told Peter he would deny Him three times that night (v.34). Don't berate Peter. We are all "Peters." Jesus has warned us what is to come and we are to "watch and pray" (26:41). Watch and pray; or will we be found sleeping at our post, like Peter, and the other disciples? Jesus may seem slow in coming, but He IS coming. Don't let His return become a traumatic event, but, instead, a joyous gathering for those who have kept their faith alive...and their eyes open.   

Son #1 and Son #2

""What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' "'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go""- Matthew 21:28-30 (NIV).

I can identify with the second son. We say yes, yes, Lord...send me. We truly want God to use us for His kingdom, but many times we put conditions on His requests, whether we like to admit it or not: it's not convenient, I don't have the resources, I'm tired, that's not my gift, I just don't enjoy doing that sort of thing. God asks you to do something and your reasoning begins to wrestle with your spirit. You know, deep down,what is right, but you just don't want to have to do it, so you resolve that you'll do the next thing God brings your way. Jesus asked, "Which of the two did what his father wanted?" (v.31a). Which one of the two do you want to be? It's alright not to want to do the work; but, it's not alright to be disobedient when God asks you to go and work. Our Triune God said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). Loving God boils down to being obedient to God. Though Jesus asked the Father to remove the cup of suffering He was about to endure on the cross, He was still obedient. We can pray for God to remove something in our life, but it should always end with us being obedient. Where has God asked you to go and work today? Better question: Are you going to go?

Gaining Everything

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs"- 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 (NIV).

Love is one of many emotions, but love is much stronger than all of them, even hate (v.13). We can have great gifts and multiple talents, but without love we are just noise; we gain nothing (v.1-3).  First Corinthians is called the "Love" chapter of the Bible, and rightly so. Love is listed as the first of the fruits of the Spirit. It's is not always easy. There are some very hard people to love out there: they misuse your love, refuse your love, deny your love. Jesus knew very well how that felt; yet, to the end He loved those who mistreated Him, even asking God to forgive them for their hatred toward Him. His love conquered! Now we are commanded to love. Once, when asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22-37-40). Let that sink in: All things hang on love. Without love, we gain nothing. With love we gain everything!

Living Prepared

"Be very careful, then how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is"- Ephesians 5:15-17 (NIV).

Every opportunity is either an opportunity gained or an opportunity lost, never to be offered again. Time rolls on toward the inevitable end, where we meet the Lord face-to-face. With each seized opportunity we gain a measure of wisdom, of understanding, of what the Lord's will is. "Be very careful" should not be overlooked or under esteemed. It's not just "Be careful," it reads "Be VERY careful." Warning signs are throughout the Bible, similar to traffic cones, signs, and blinking lights. We know what happens if we ignore them...we wreck! We pay close attention when driving; we need to pay just as closely, no, more closely, to the way we live. Be prepared to act. Like the parable of the ten virgins waiting for the groom. Only five were wise, and prepared, for His arrival. The other five, unwise and unprepared, ended up facing a closed door and the Lord telling them He did not know them. They could no longer come to the wedding of the Lamb (Matthew 25:1-10). They missed their opportunity. Where do we start to gain wisdom? Delve into the Word, commit it to memory, and live prepared. 

Closing the Door

"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you"- Matthew 6:6 (NIV).

We can pray anywhere and anytime, but prayer needs to be in isolation with the Lord. Closing "the door" can be interpreted as closing the door to all outside interference. The doors of our mind creak open during prayer time: plans for the day, past events, conversations, problems, even what we want to eat; the closed door opens and our focus is no longer on the Lord. We have to close "the door" to other things when we pray. It's a discipline that gets better with practice. Praying about things, big and small, that are on our mind is different: God is the focus, He is involved. It's when we've opened "the door" that we're basically no longer praying. God is patient and merciful. I usually ask His forgiveness and return my focus to Him, closing "the door" once again. Remember...practice makes for a better prayer life and a stronger relationship with the One who wants to hear our every thought. That's the best reward of all.