Asleep in the Light

And the LORD hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break up. Then the sailors became afraid, and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down, and fallen sound asleep. So the captain approached him and said, "How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god. Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish." Jonah 1:4-6

I find this scenario in Jonah revealing and convicting. Here are heathen sailors doing all they know to do to survive in treacherous seas and it isn’t working. They begin crying out in fear to their “higher power” and find no relief or help there either. In their frantic fight for survival they find Jonah snoozing in the hold of the ship. Can you imagine a lost person coming to you and imploring you to call on your God to see if perhaps He will show some concern for their situation? I am not going to point the finger at Jonah without knowing 3 are pointing back at me. Am I the only one who can be appalled at my own lack of concern for the plight of those around me? Sometimes the Holy Spirit has to shake me out of my snoozing indifference saying, “Carol, call on Me, cry out to Me on behalf of those who are perishing Speak to them of My saving grace.”

There is such pathos in the captain’s hope that perhaps “your God will be concerned about us so that we won’t perish.” We truly have the good news that our God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish.

God help me, I can see myself in the lyrics of this Keith Green song. Please pray for me and let me know how I can pray for you.

Asleep in the Light
By Keith Green

Do you see, Do you see
All the people sinking down
Don't you care, don't you care
Are you gonna let them drown

How can you be so numb
Not to care if they come
You close your eyes
And pretend the job's done

"Oh bless me Lord, bless me Lord"
You know it's all I ever hear
No one aches, no one hurts
No one even sheds one tear

But He cries, He weeps, He bleeds
And He cares for your needs
And you just lay back
And keep soaking it in,
Oh, can't you see it's such a sin?

Cause He brings people to your door,
And you turn them away
As you smile and say,
"God bless you, be at peace"
And all heaven just weeps
Cause Jesus came to your door
You've left him out on the streets

Open up open up
And give yourself away
You see the need, you hear the cries
So how can you delay

God's calling and you're the one
But like Jonah you run
He's told you to speak
But you keep holding it in,
Oh can't you see it's such a sin?

The world is sleeping in the dark
That the church just can't fight
Cause it's asleep in the light
How can you be so dead
When you've been so well fed
Jesus rose from the grave
And you, you can't even get out of bed

Oh, Jesus rose from the dead
Come on, get out of your bed

How can you be so numb
Not to care if they come
You close your eyes
And pretend the job's done
You close your eyes
And pretend the job's done

Don't close your eyes
Don't pretend the jobs done
Come away, come away, come away with Me my love,
Come away, from this mess, come away with Me, my love.

MY PRAYER: Lord, I repent before You. I have been so well fed and yet I can be so numb. Help me not to close my eyes and pretend the jobs done. By your Spirit rouse me out of my apathy. In Jesus’ saving name, amen.