Are you sleeping Brother John, Are you Sleeping Brother John,
Morning Bells are ringing, Morning Bells are ringing
Ding, Dang, Dong, Ding Dang Dong
The above nursery rhyme has a lot of theories about its origin but the main fact it relates to all of us in a deeper way. The question is “ are you sleeping that you cannot hear the call of the Lord”. Brother John, who is supposed to attend morning mass, does not rise up on time and then everybody sings together asking him to listen to the bell tolling for him.
Are we sleeping that we do not hear GOD’s call, has GOD called us that we do not know His voice because of the clutter of sounds in our heads. Have we missed or even ignored GOD’s wakeup call. Let us try to look at how GOD’s wakeup call happens in our lives through the Word of GOD.
1. Through Daily Life (The Burning but “Not Burned Up” Bush Call)
And Moses was content to live with the man. And he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah.
Exodus 2:21 MKJV
And Moses kept the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back side of the desert. And he came to the mountain of God, to Horeb. And the Angel of Jehovah appeared to him in a flame of fire, out of the midst of a thorn bush. And he looked. And behold! The thorn bush burned with fire! And the thorn bush was not burned up. And Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the thorn bush is not burned up. And Jehovah saw that he had turned aside to see. God called to him out of the midst of the thorn bush, and said, Moses! Moses! And he said, Here I am. And He said, Do not come near here. Pull off your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground. And He said, I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.
Exodus 3:1-6 MKJV
There are times we are content in our lives, everything seems to be going as per our plan, finances in shape, job on target but then GOD calls through a sight that cannot be explained, an experience that cannot be understood but it is very much a part of our daily life. Moses was content to live with the man, probably also content with the way GOD had taken him out of Egypt and placed him. In the midst of this contentment, GOD brings forth a sight that cannot be explained and reminds him, who He is. I call this the “Burning but Not Burned up Bush Call” and would like to highlight some key thoughts around this
- A natural occurrence but an unnatural appearance, a bush burns but does not get burned. There could be situations in your life where GOD brings a sight that would be natural but the appearance of it unnatural. It could be a miracle that is for you but you do not see, it could be a person you can help but do not know how to help. It could be a simple hand of help that you could reach out but are not able to understand why. GOD wants you to believe in the natural occurrence so that you have faith for the unnatural event.
- Through the event GOD wants our attention and make us realize that we have forgotten our promises, our commitments and relationship with Him.
- GOD restates who He is, and brings us into a realization as to how casual we considered who our GOD is. This realization brings us to know that we serve a mighty GOD, Omnipotent and Omnipresent.
Thus GOD calls us through our daily lives and routines through natural events but it is our faith that can help us the unnatural appearance the event, i.e. GOD’s wakeup call through “the Burning but Not Burned up Bush”
2. Through Calamity ( The “Stand Still” Call)
And there came a messenger to Job and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them. And the Sabeans fell on and took them away. Yea, they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword. And I only have escaped alone to tell you. While he was still speaking, there also came another and said, The fire of God has fallen from the heavens and has burned up the sheep and the servants, and destroyed them. And I only have escaped alone to tell you. While he was still speaking, there also came another and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands and swooped down upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and have killed the servants with the edge of the sword. And I only have escaped alone to tell you. While he was still speaking, there also came another and said, Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house. And, behold, a great wind came from the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead. And I only have escaped alone to tell you. And Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground and worshiped. And he said, I came naked out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. Jehovah gave, and Jehovah has taken away. Blessed be the name of Jehovah.
Job 1:14-21 MKJV
Listen to this, Job; stand still, and consider the wonderful works of God.
Job 37:14 MKJV
And Jehovah turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends. Also Jehovah added to Job all that had been his, to double.
Job 42:10 MKJV
Calamities and tragedies are part of our live and it is natural that we have a wakeup call through it. The fact is that how we react to the calamity will help us react to the Wakeup call. In Job’s case it was a heavy blow and as we go through the book and study the conversations we can see that GOD has a certain way of calling us out of a calamity. I would like to put 3 thoughts around this
- Job knew who GOD is and he did not forget that when the calamity struck him. He was sure that GOD had a purpose through what He was doing and was ready to accept it.
- In a calamity there will multiple people, who will reach out to you through the situation, some will help, some will question, and some will differ with you. It is your relationship with GOD and how you seek Him that helps you to understand, that once you have to give yourself completely into His hands , it is the only way you can stand still and see the wonderful works of GOD.
- In the resolution of the calamity you learn not only to pray for yourself but also for your friends who might have gone against you and then GOD sees that your heart is pure before Him and will bless.
Thus “Stand Still” Call is the call through which GOD shows who He is and allows you to love Him more then you have before the calamity struck. It does not mean that we do not do anything, we continue to work in faith not being worried but rejoicing that GOD is in control.
3. Through Evil ( The “Why” Call)
But Saul ravaged the church, entering into every house. And dragging men and women, he delivered them up to prison.
Acts 8:3 MKJV
And he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?
Acts 9:4 MKJV
Then Saul (who is also Paul), filled with the Holy Spirit, set his eyes on him
Acts 13:9 MKJV
Saul knew who GOD was but never really understood His way. Saul was determined to follow GOD but not in the way GOD wanted Him to. When I say that GOD’s wakeup call can come through evil, it is in two ways. The first way is through our ignorance of who GOD really is and the second through our arrogance against the way of GOD.
Saul probably had the problem of ignorance; however that ignorance is overcome through knowing who Christ is and what He has done for us. Arrogance comes when we go against GOD even when we know who is. GOD calls us through evil and I like to call this the “Why” Call as Jesus will continue to ask us why do we persecute him even after knowing His love for us.
3 thoughts around this
- Evil starts with thoughts and then into actions that go against GOD and His Word.
- GOD still loves us through this and tries to reach us through His word, His prophets and signs
- GOD questions our actions and helps seek redemption that helps us know His call.
GOD's Wakeup calls are there for us to seek Him diligently and I am sure in all our lives we must have had all the above three situations in varying levels. It depends on how we react to them and the choices we make around them. GOD is calling us , are you ready to listen?