"Quench not the Spirit."
- I Thessalonians 5:19

I didn't even realize that it was happening to me.

One minute I was lying in bed watching the Andy Griffith show, and the next minute I was asleep.

Didn't even see it coming.

I'm sure if I went back and analyzed the events of last night, I could pick out signs of it about to happen.  You know, the nodding head, the drooping eyes, the yawn --- they all point towards falling asleep.

But, I sure didn't pay much attention to them while they were happening.  I just drifted off to sleep last night.

 Beep!!!! Beep!!!!! Beep!!!!  Beep!!!!!  I was jarred awake this morning by the sound of the alarm clock!  "Wake up" it was screaming at me!    "It's time to stop sleeping." 

"Snap out of it." 

And, you know what I did?  Instead of getting up, instead of waking up, instead of doing what I should have done, I didn't listen to that alarm clock...

...I hit the SNOOZE button, turned off the alarm, and went back to sleep.

How many times have you done the same?

You know, the Holy Spirit is our spiritual alarm clock. He alerts us when we need to wake up!

You see, many times we begin to fall asleep spiritually and don't even realize it is happening to us.  One minute we're on fire for Jesus, and the next minute we are drifting off into the world.  Sometimes we don't even see it coming.

I'm sure if we look back and analyze the events heading into our slumber, we could pick out signs of it about to happen.  You know, the nodding head that begins to nod "Yes" to the things of this world, the drooping eyes that stop spending time reading the Word of God, the yawn of indifference towards serving our Father --- they all point towards falling asleep spiritually.

And yet, too often, we don't pay much attention to the telltale signs of drifting away while they are happening.

And all the while the Holy Spirit is going Beep!!!!  Beep!!!! Beep!!!! Beep!!!!  (He doesn't wait until we're already asleep to start sounding the alarm!)

He does His work to jar us awake.  "Wake up" He calls out to us.  "It's time to stop sleeping."  "Snap out of it."

And it is sad to say, that many times instead of listening to what the Holy Spirit says, we hit the SNOOZE button, turn off His voice (quench) and go back to sleep.

Christian, there is nothing else as important to your life as a believer than to obey what the Spirit of God tells you to do.   When He warns you of spiritual slumber, you need to listen.  When He says "Wake up," you need to rub your spiritual eyes and snap to.

What about today?  Has the Spirit of God been pointing to something in your life that He wants you to "wake up" from?  Is there a sin that has you sleeping that He has been telling you to repent of?  How about some trial or hardship that has you neglecting your relationship with God?  Is there some assignment or job or calling upon your life that He has continued to give you that you are hitting the SNOOZE button on?  Some lost soul He has burdened your heart to share the Gospel with?

Take a look at your life.  Listen to what the Spirit would say to you today.  And if you are asleep in any area...

....wake up!

Have a "Wonderful DAY in Christ,"
Jimmy D. Brown
\o/ Praise Jesus!