These Days are Evil

   

    There's a thief in my life... many of them, actually. They go by the name Apple, Packing, Dirty Laundry, and Routine Surgery. Sometimes I notice the small things they steal. Case in point: I got a very special necklace in the mail on Friday. When I went to wear it Sunday, Packing had stolen it. Luckily I found it under a mountain of clothes. Apple likes to steal my time (and sometimes money). She's sneaky because she does it in a way that I don't even notice! And then, there's Routine Surgery. He's deceiving because an appendectomy really is routine. Of course, when it's someone you love, nothing is routine. I don't really worry about Dirty Laundry... ain't no body got time for that! ;-)
    I'm not even a mother or a homeowner, but I can see how these thieves can easily steal more than just the things you see. They can steal your joy. They can turn a thankful heart into a begrudging one. And, how easily they can steal my worship.
    In Mark 13, Jesus is talking with His disciples about not knowing when the "master" will return home. He ends the conversation by saying, "And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake." I consider you and me the "all" that He references. These illusive thieves that I mentioned before make us physically tired, but also can wear us down spiritually. We get caught up in clothing or facebook so much that we allow our spirit to lose touch with its Creator. Stay awake! It echos in my mind when I get frustrated at the amount of stuff that I know won't fit in 300lbs worth of luggage. Or, when I lazily sit around watching mindless tv all day/evening.
   Ephesians 5:13-16 speaks to my soul: my emotions, behavior, and will that I need to take captive to the Lord each moment of the day.

But when everything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says

'Awake, O sleeper, 

and arise from the dead, 

and Christ will shine on you.'

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

    Awake, O sleeper, because if you don't make the most of your time, Satan has plans for it!!! Time is tainted with evil from the fall. The KJV says that we should "redeem" the time. If we don't reclaim it as the Lord's, it will naturally go toward evil--not good. But, our time doesn't have to go toward evil. When we meet these gifts God has given us (even laundry) with a thankful heart, even as we pour in the Purex, we worship. When we choose to make the best use of our time by giving an offering of thanksgiving, our routine surgeries become acts of worship! Thankful for His provision, care, and healing. God is so good.

    Sometimes, I don't feel like making the most of my time. It's easier to passively sit and allow things to happen. It's easier to let my emotions rule my behavior- to watch as opportunities for thanksgiving slip through our fingers. But, when this is the case, I must remind myself of the Truth found in scripture. Honestly, sometimes I still don't believe it enough to influence my emotions. If you're a woman, you probably know what I mean. So, what happens then? I REST in the Lord. I breathe in His patience and mercy, and breathe out thanksgiving--and strive toward staying awake.

  

   This song from one of my favorites (Andrew Peterson) speaks toward the Lord's provision of making all things new when we awake to His goodness! Enjoy!

"Rise up, O You Sleeper, Awake!"

Come broken and weary
Come battered and bruised
My Jesus makes all things new
All things new
Come lost and abandoned
Come blown by the wind
He’ll bring you back home again
Home again

Rise up, O you sleeper, awake
The dawn is upon you
Rise up, O you sleeper, awake
He makes all things new
All things new

Come burning with shame
Come frozen with guilt
My Jesus, he loves you still
Loves you still

Rise up, O you sleeper, awake
The dawn is upon you
Rise up, O you sleeper, awake
He makes all things new
He makes all things new

The world was good
The world is fallen
The world will be redeemed
So hold on to the promise
The stories are true
That Jesus makes all things new
(The dawn is upon you)

Some things are best left asleep!