“We are not of the night or of the darkness.
So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober”
English Standard Version, 1 Thessalonians 5:5–6
Whilst I don’t sleep an awful lot, not sleeping—as others do—is a bit of a high call. This call, however, is given to us as a direct response to the reality that’s we’ve been reborn into. Though once we lived in darkness, we have been awakened by the Light, never to slumber again. In addition, we’re called not only to remain awake but astute, to be sober-minded, ready for battle (v8), encouraging one another in the fight (v11.)
Each of this week’s articles echoes that call, even as suffering, doubt, and fear meet us along the way. They remind us to focus on the Light that once brought us into the new life, to remind steadfast through trial bolstered by the encouragement and example of others, and to accept the gift of Sabbath rest the Lord has given us.
Though we aren’t called to literally give up sleep, the struggle to remain spiritually awake often feels even more difficult than that. In those moments we should remember that just as our rebirth was not through our own power, neither is our endurance. As Paul goes on to say:
“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”
English Standard Version 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24
Sanctified, kept blameless, called. Surely we shall do it? Never, surely the Lord will do it. So then, let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and sober through that same strength.
Grace and Peace,
Adsum Try Ravenhill is married to Anna and together they are passionate about seeing young men and women discipled within the context of the local church. You can find Adsum through his writing at The Raven’s Writing Desk and you can also find Adsum’s articles for GCD here.
Last Week at GCDiscipleship.com
Our Infertility and God’s Foreknowledge
By Mike Holwerda
“We will never know the future, but that does not mean the future is unknown. We might not have access to the answers, but the Bible confirms that God knows everything. He knows everything about the past; he knows everything in the present; he knows everything that will happen in the future. In other words, God has foreknowledge.”
Faith & Doubt in Prayer
By John Koessler
“…there are times when our faith does waver. Perhaps it is the nature of the request that gives us pause. We are overwhelmed by the problem and have difficulty seeing a solution. Or it may be a concern that is so long-standing that we have begun to lose hope. I admire the heroes of faith in church history and Scripture, but I most identify with those who struggled with doubt.”
God Made Sabbath an Equipping Tool For Suffering
By Kasey Moffett
“God enables Elijah to obey the fourth commandment: sabbath rest. Not only does God allow rest; he commands it. Sabbath isn’t optional and it isn’t for when we’ve completed our task list…He knows our capacity. If we can’t say no, can’t take a day off, or get enough sleep, we are saying we are the center of the universe.”