28 November 2015 - world drugged hearts

Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy

Are our hearts drowsy? Or, we might ask, are our hearts fully awake to God?

Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed (cf. Romans 13:11).

Even if we aren't involved in carousing and drunkenness the anxieties of daily life do tend to wear us out and distract us. They keep our attention earthbound and make us less ready for the day to come, less ready to stand before the Son of Man.

When we feel anxiety like this God's word often seems like just one more cause for anxiety, one more ball to keep in the air, one more item on our list. Even the understanding which Daniel has at first only causes him more fear. But he does what we need to do at times like these. He asks for clarity.

But I wished to make certain about the fourth beast,
so very terrible and different from the others,

And God does offer clarity. He does not tell him about these beasts to terrify him but so that he may know better than to trust in himself or any earthly kingdom for help. God explains these beasts so that Daniel will know to trust in him. Only God is a rock of stability in a world of anxiety. He is happy to explain this to Daniel and to us.

Then the kingship and dominion and majesty
of all the kingdoms under the heavens
shall be given to the holy people of the Most High,
Whose Kingdom shall be everlasting:
all dominions shall serve and obey him.

This knowledge of what lasts makes all the difference when we are confronted with the anxieties of daily life. When we know it we are not shaken by the trials we face. No matter how big our to-do list, it doesn't keep our attention from God. We are even "vigilant at all times" and "have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man."

If our hearts have become weary (and whose heart hasn't?) let us hear the word of the LORD:

Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you (cf. Ephesians 5:14).

If God's words are causing us anxiety we need to realize that this is not their purpose. Let us turn to him and ask for clarity. He is happy to do so. He wants to free our hearts to give him glory and eternal praise. That is the purpose for which we are made.