Field Report #006

 

"My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning." Psalm 130:6

The night watchman, shivering from the cold and casting his eyes into the deep darkness around him, longs for the coming of the light. The night watch is dangerous and terrifying, because it is the time when the enemy seems to have the upper hand. And it is the watchman's task to spend the hours of darkness waiting for that very enemy whom he dreads. 

We, in the valley of the shadow of death, the ten virgins with lamps and oil ready, are called to stay awake and watch. To wait for the coming of our Lord. To stand together with the high praises of God on our tongues and the two-edged sword of God's holy Word in our hands.

Lest he return suddenly and find us sleeping, with lamps unlit and unprepared for his coming.

Stay awake.

I find it very hard to stay awake in busy times of life. Somehow, all the work and stress of life becomes overwhelming, the knowledge and comfort of Christ is forgotten, and the watch dissolves into a dangerous spiritual sleep. Prayers fail. Discipline falters. Sin crouches at the door. There are some who have been watching so long, with such diligence, that more often than not they maintain the watch and stay awake, even when the cares of the world  rage about them.

God be praised for their blessed example. 

And most of all, God be praised for his Son Jesus Christ, who walked the narrow path for us, stayed awake for us, took up the sword for us, and stood victorious against the darkness - our darkness -  for us.

And now, until his return, Jesus Christ calls us to follow him along the very same path.

This time, not to win the war, not to defeat the powers of sin and death - but because the war has already been won, and because the enemy has already been defeated. Our Lord Jesus calls us to put our trust in him, to follow him in the narrow path, because he loves us. For to follow him, to trust in him alone, is eternal life. And to abandon him, to deny him, to lay down our weapons and walk away from the post of the watchman, is eternal fire.

Act like men, be strong. Be strong in the Lord, who gives you the victory, who trains your hands for war. It's time to wake up. And then, until the day the trumpet blast rings out its victory across the desolation of Adam:

Stay awake.