The Spirit of Lethergy and Spiritual Darkness

[Albert Finch]

Spiritual Drowsiness

Just because we walk and talk does not mean we are truly awake. Zechariah was not sleeping when an angel roused him "as a man who is awakened from his sleep" (Zechariah 4:1).

Perhaps we too need to be shaken from our slumber to possess the promises of God! Amazingly, in spite of all the signs, wonders, and warnings announcing that we are truly in the last days, Jesus also said there is a mysterious drowsiness that we have to overcome. Indeed, immediately after highlighting the various evidences of the end (see Matthew 24), He compares the Church to virgins who "all got drowsy and began to sleep" (Matthew 25:5).

Virgins sleeping at the end of the age: this seems incomprehensible with all the signs in the Heavens and wonders upon the earth, not to mention the increasing presence of Christ. Yet this phenomenon is something we each battle: the tendency to become spiritually drowsy and lose our focus as we wait for the Lord's return.

There is a subtle activity of the enemy that dulls our perception and seduces our zeal. Our vision takes a backseat to other less important aspects of life. From the beginning, the voice of satan has had this lulling effect on mankind. Eve's excuse for disobedience was, "The serpent hath caused me to forget" (Genesis 3:13 Young's Literal Translation).

This sense of spiritual forgetfulness, of drowsiness, is the cloud of blindness that we each must discern and overcome.

"If You Want Your Dream to Come True, You Have to Wake Up"

Breaking Passivity - Setting Priorities

Today, God is awakening us to the reality of His presence. The promises the Lord gives us in the Scriptures must become more to us than dream-like realities only reserved for the hereafter. Moses frequented the glory of God! Israel's seventy elders ate and drank in God's resplendent glory (see Exodus 24:9-11). Jesus unveiled God's glory on the Mount of Transfiguration! Paul says that we all can behold the glory of God and be transformed by it (see 2 Corinthians 3:18).

For this reason, the Scripture says, "Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you" (Ephesians 5:14). If we truly want Christ to "shine" upon us, we must arise from the distractions that entomb us in lethargy and spiritual darkness.

Right at this moment, the presence of the living God is near enough to hear the whisper of your heart. But if we want our dream of standing in the presence of God to come true, we must wake up.

　

Affirmations

I am complete in Him who is the head of all principality and power. For I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God has before ordained that I should walk therein (Colossians 2:10; Ephesians 2:10).

Out of His glorious riches He strengthens me with power through his Spirit in my inner man (Ephesians 3:16).

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).

God has given me his Spirit, not the world’s spirit, so that I may realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts of divine favor and blessings so freely and lavishly bestowed on us by God.

(I Corinthians 2:12)

I work hard and am not lazy and serve the Lord with a heart full of devotion.(Romans 12:11)