BBD 10.10.07 Sleep Walking and Sleep Driving
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
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The Burning Bush Devotional
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10.10.07
Sleep Walking and Sleep Driving
And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of
sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The
night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works
of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as
in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in
strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for
the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. - Romans 13:11-14.
Pedro Brito of St. Louis Park, Minnesota was just driving down the street at
3:30am on a Sunday morning minding his own business when a police officer
stopped him. It is a good thing that it was early and that the streets were
deserted because Pedro was.asleep. The police had received a call about a
sleeping driver and when officers arrived Pedro was still asleep, still
driving and he had crossed the centerline before an officer was able to
reach inside and put the vehicle in neutral. 26-year-old Pedro was sound
asleep and officers had to shake him and yell at him to wake him up. It
appears that Brito was not only asleep but he may have also been intoxicated
since the field sobriety test revealed that (surprise!) his balance was not
very good.
We may think that we are awake - but are we really? Are we awake to the
reality of life or are we just going through the motions letting the vehicle
of our life idle through day after day?
Do you remember Jonah of Old Testament fame? He fled from the call of God
upon his life and ended up on a ship going in the opposite direction from
where he should have gone. Jonah went to sleep there on the ship even though
it was not a restful sleep. Jonah was probably doing what many people do -
trying to block out the reality of their sin by going to sleep. Some people
learn this trick so well that they walk around (some drive around) in their
sleep. It is not a real sleep; however, it is a sleep that is unconscious to
the sin in their lives and the will of God for their lives.
Do you remember Samson, the man with superhero strength in the book of
Judges? Delilah kept trying to find the secret to his strength so the
Philistines could kill him. Samson slept peacefully always believing that He
would awake as he had before with superhuman strength. He always had, and so
when he told Delilah the real secret to his strength (Never having cut his
hair.) he thought he would awaken as before. Samson came to believe that he
was the source of his strength and that he no longer needed God. Since he no
longer needed God, it didn't matter whether he told Delilah the supposed
secret about his hair. Samson was living a life of deception - he had
deceived himself.
Do you remember how God woke up Jonah? A great fish swallowed him after he
was thrown overboard and Jonah was wide awake after spending three days and
night in the belly of that fish.
Do you remember how God woke up Samson? Samson found out that God had been
the source of his strength after Delilah had cut his hair and the
Philistines took him captive and put out his eyes.
After Jonah and Samson woke up to the reality of their lives and the reality
that there is a God they both fulfilled their mission.
What about you? Time is running out. Each of us only has so much time. If we
are ever going to start living life like God wants us to - isn't it time to
start? Wake up! It is time to live as we ought to live before it is
eternally too late.
Copyright © 2007. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.
Prayer Requests: Please pray for Malachi a young boy with cancer. The cancer
in Malachi's bone marrow has reoccurred and he will soon return to
California for additional treatment. Malachi is not doing very well and
there are obstacles from DHS and a judge to his receiving the treatment and
care that he needs. The harsh uncaring treatment of this boy and his family
(by the department of human services and the judge) and increased stress
because of it may have resulted in the return of the cancer.
Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer
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