Friday 28 September 2012

Isaiah 45:13 « I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness: I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free, but not for a price or reward, says the Lord Almighty. »

Cyrus was a heathen king; he worshiped idols; and he ruled a vast empire with an iron fist.  And yet, we read here that God “raised up” Cyrus.  The Hebrew word can also mean “awaken.”  In other words, “God “awakened” Cyrus.  And in that “awakened” state Cyrus entered into the plan of God for the rebuilding of the house of the Lord.  And not only did Cyrus rebuild Jerusalem, he did it for no political gain.  He did it out of conviction!

Such it is when God awakens our hearts to His purposes.  We suddenly see the plan of God and without much thought to our own personal cost, we engage ourselves to His purposes.

Perhaps one of the saddest commentaries on the modern youth of the world is that they have no just cause to live for.  They just want to get through life the best they can; have fun; and not offend anyone.

I see people all the time come into our church, have an encounter with God, make commitments to serve Him, and then after a few months, they disappear.  They have been lulled back into a spiritual slumber, overcome by the weariness of this world.  Friend, this life is the only one you will get.  You can’t get to the end of your life and then ask God to do it over again because you regret the bad decisions you made.

Usually you can look into the eye of a Christian who is fully engaged with God and see a “spark” when they talk about their purpose in life.  The sleeping Christian has no spark, no smile, no excitement in the voice when talking about their life mission.  However, talk about the latest movie to hit the theaters, or the news headlines, or the latest fashion, and the eyes light up.

God is awakening the hearts of the young and old across the planet.  He is awakening our hearts like He did with Cyrus of old.  He is awakening our hearts to the purposes He has for us.

As a leader in God’s church I have found it more than challenging to get people to seek God, pray, and read their Bible.  But when God has “awakened the heart” to His purposes, you can’t keep them from praying, worshipping and telling their friends about Jesus.

So my prayer is NOT that you would read your Bible and seek His face.  My prayer is that God would awaken your heart to His purposes in this one and only life you have.  As He does, you won’t ever want to put down your Bible!

So we say to you today, “Awake sleeper.  Awake, oh heart; awake to God’s dreams and purposes for you.”