Day 173: Sleeping Disciples

Mark 14:32-72; 1 Kings 9; Hosea 11:1-11

Jesus finds his disciples sleeping, when they should have been praying or keeping watch. How often am I caught "sleeping" when I should be focused on The Lord or invested in prayer? I, and I suppose we, need to be deliberate and dilligent about prayer and seeking God's help, not lazy or relaxed about our spiritual wellbeing. What I also find interesting is that when Jesus comes back the second time, he tells them to stay awake and pray that THEY won't be tested. Hang on a sec, Jesus is about to take on the wrath of God, and Jesus is worried about how the disciples will be tested? That does not make sense. If it were me, I'd be saying "guys! pray for me! I'm going through a tough thing right now!" But then again, that's why Jesus is God and I'm not. Jesus wants his followers to be awake, alive, ready to follow him and serve.

And then there's Peter. Poor Peter, struggles in his faith. Later he becomes a pillar of the church, but pillars dont get strong without going through some kind of pressure. Peter walks through the fire and gets burned, bad. But it is through that that he learns what it means to fail, so that strength in faith and success mean so much more to him. Plus, it shows him just how much he needs God. I think Peter is great.

God wants to bless his people. He wants to care for humans. He loves us. But, just as in his warning to Solomon, if people reject him, he will pull away. He doesn't force people worship him, it is completely a choice, but there are consequences for not honoring our maker. I totally believe the same principle applies today. People are made needing God, that is why people spend their lives trying to find something or chase something. So when people decide they don't need The Lord, God can't and won't force them. All he says is that he will not let them live in the promised land (heaven?) and he will desert the temple he built (people or the community?). As so many in our country wish for God to leave, I believe that in those people's lives and those communities, he has in a sense, left. But, where people are faithful in following him, he is there and we can trust in that.

In these verses in Hosea, there is such longing from God to have his people back. He says, "Israel, I can't let you go, I can't give you up." God loves us so much. It isn't that he just needs to feel control over something; I don't think God has control or security issues. God leads his people "with kindness and with love, not with ropes." This passage in Hosea is very powerful. God loves his people so much that despite their rebellion and unfaithfulness, he can't let them go or give them up. Wow, how often do we see that kind of love in our world today?