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Parents know how hard it is to wake a son or daughter to do the things necessary.  How many times do we try.  How many variations of alarm to we imagine and “give it a whirl”.

An adult knows to set the alarm.  The one who knows that it is his hand that will either feed him at night or fold a while longer in slumber; missing an oportunity to provide.

And once awake, both the child and the adult knows a different place of service.  No longer is that one serving himself in slumber.  Now we learn to serve others by waking.

It is the same with the Lord.  How the child of God likes to sleep in sin.  How neglect of the Holy covers him like a warm blanket.  But what is accomplished?  He speaks to us as we sleep.  “Wake.  It is time to work.”  Again he comes to us to find us sleeping.  Again and again He approaches us unnoticed.  Yet, there is a place where He rightfully demands that we wake.  We are His children.  Perhaps a punishment will rouse the eyelids, arms, and legs to do what needs to be done.

But the mature in Christ know to wake early, pray in the darkness before the dawn explodes with demands.  The alarm is within us now.   And we rise with a willingness.  We wake with joy to serve the One who loved us enough to wake us.