BUT WHILE MEN SLEPT

MONDAY 16 DECEMBER 2024

Jesus told us about weeds among the Wheat in the book of Matthew. It is the Parable of the wheat and the tares (weeds). Let's find out what it represents in our daily walk with God.

Reference: Matthew 13:24-25 New King James Version (NKJV)

'Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way."'

There's no room for sleep in your Christian walk. This is because the devil is ready to sow bad seeds in your field, full of good seeds, if you fall asleep. Sleeping time is a time, when the consciousness of your surrounding is practically suspended, and in this case, it has to do with inattention and delinquency towards the things of the Spirit.

Simply put, by sleeping, I mean the spiritual and physical presence that denotes being slumber and slothful in zeal, rather than being fervent in spirit, serving the Lord diligently and enthusiastically. Since the Scripture stated that your adversary, the devil, works 24 hours, seeking whom he may devour, you don't have to subscribe to being a part time Christian.

A part time Christian can never exercise perpetual victory over a full time enemy. Therefore, be inspired by this article to function as a full time Christian, because when you relax, the enemy is ready to sow his seed whether in your nation, ministry, job, business, family, mind, health and so on. Then, all of a sudden, you will begin to see a sudden wave or surge in negativity, which is designed to derail you from your spiritual course or journey, if you remain asIeep.

Interestingly, sleeping happens when you feel you have done enough. For instance, after a long duration of praying with fasting, which has possibly taken you many days, you might want to relax and not pray in the subsequent days, or even for the successive week.

Another instance: After giving a sacrificial oblation to God, some Christians might feel they've done so much and so they need to take a break from giving. Also, in the very place where the truth of the Word is preached, while the hearts of people are open to receive it, we must always bear in mind that the enemy usually comes afterwards to sow the wrong seed, in form of insinuated suggestions, distorted view of the sincere truth, terrestrial lies, and negative thoughts, and therefore, if they don't stay awake and vigilant, and remain strong and rooted in the Word, simple-minded individuals might yield to such.

After exercising your faith and receiving your divine healing, you might wish to relax and stop declaring the Word, thereby living and observing your faith walk in a facetious manner. These are varied ways of sleeping spiritually. But the Bible says, "...while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way" (Matthew 13:25 NKJV).

Sometimes sleeping is as a result of giving needless attention to frivolous issues, negative news and secular cares of this world, instead of being spiritually minded. And that's spiritual slumber which can result in gloom-ridden externalization. For instance, paying undue attention to misguided or ill-considered matters can cause you to deviate from that which really counts in your Christian walk. So being spiritually awake is a determination that defines the essence of being focused on Christ and His Word, come what may.

Beloved, if you are not spiritually minded, you are spiritually asleep and, responsibly, apostle Paul reminded us in Romans 8:6 (ESV) saying: "For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace." The phrase "set the mind on the Spirit' translates as the Greek noun phrase: "phronēma tou pneumatos", denoting the act of developing "the mindset of the Spirit" which is accompanied by the grace and duty of being spiritually-minded.

For example, as a Christian, if you become too much entangled in watching worldly-fashioned films, and in assimilating much of modern inclination based on mundane opinions, as well as paying too much attention to sordid influences of this world, than you do to the Word of God, you are seriously sleeping. No matter your interest in all of these seemingly entertaining effects of life, you can't afford to pay less attention to God than such things, if you must develop the mind of the Spirit.

In the Literal Standard Version of Luke 18:1, Jesus spoke an allegory to His disciples, enlightening that it is always necessary to pray and not to faint.  Although the word, "faint" implies entertaining a weakness in the physical body instead of functioning with a motivated reasoning for such desire, prayerlessness is highly indicative of spiritual weakness.

When you form the habit of skipping your communion times with God, daily devotional routine and sleeping spiritually in manifold ways, you make yourself prone to wiles, schemes, and all the strategies of the devil, meaning that the flesh can also become active, such that you could be persuaded to fulfil its dictate.

Therefore, you must always put on the whole armour of God, and be fully awake and vigilant because the devourer is always on the move. To that effect, Petrine epistolary assertion numbered as 1st Peter 5:8 reads, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Matthew 25:5; Ephesians 5:14; Ephesians 6:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:5-8.

Exuberant Declaration:

I am exceedingly alive and fully vibrant in my spiritual service to God. I refuse to sleep in my Christian walk, but rather, I soar up on the wings of the Holy Spirit, increasing rapidly in my faith results. I have a deep-seated and spirited passion for the Lord, such that I don't relax in my service to the Lord. My life is designed for the glory of God and I'm planted by the streams of divine productivity, where I manifest as evergreen Christian, and remain fervent in spirit; fruitful and diligent in zeal, serving the Lord faithfully. I am a powerful victor; always effectual in prayer, successful in life, and more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus, both now and always. Glory to God!