Wake Up

GREEK WORD WITH ENGLISH TRANSLITERATION: ύπνος  (hupnos)

PRONUNCIATION:  HOOP-nos

STRONG’S CONCORDANCE #:  5258

MEANING: sleep

ENGLISH WORDS DERIVED FROM:  hypnotize

BACKGROUND OF WORD (ETYMOLOGY): used to describe a deep sleep

HOW TRANSLATED IN KJV, NASB AND/OR ESV:  sleep

# OF TIMES USED IN THE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT: 6

KEY VERSE IN THE BIBLE WHERE GREEK WORD USED:

Romans 13:11 - "Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep (ύπνος)."

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

    

When to awake: Now it is high time to awake (v. 11), to awake out of the sleep of sin (for a sinful condition is a sleeping condition), out of the sleep of carnal security, sloth and negligence, out of the sleep of spiritual death, and out of the sleep of spiritual deadness; both the wise and foolish virgins slumbered and slept, Matthew 25:5. We have need to be often excited and stirred up to awake. The word of command to all Christ's disciples is, Watch. "Awake—be concerned about your souls and your eternal interest; take heed of sin, be ready to, and serious in, that which is good, and live in a constant expectation of the coming of our Lord. Considering," 1. "The time we are cast into: Knowing the time. Consider what time of day it is with us, and you will see it is high time to awake. It is gospel time, it is the accepted time, it is working time; it is a time when more is expected than was in the times of that ignorance which God winked at, when people sat in darkness. It is high time to awake; for the sun has been up a great while, and shines in our faces. Have we this light to sleep in? It is high time to awake; for others are awake and up about us. Know the time to be a busy time; we have a great deal of work to do, and our Master is calling us to it again and again. Know the time to be a perilous time. We are in the midst of enemies and snares. It is high time to awake, for the Philistines are upon us; our neighbour's house is on fire, and our own in danger. It is time to awake, for we have slept enough (1 Peter 4:3), high time indeed, for behold the bridegroom cometh." 2. "The salvation we are upon the brink of: Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed—than when we first believed, and so took upon us the profession of Christianity. The eternal happiness we chose for our portion is now nearer to us than it was when we became Christians. Let us mind our way and mend our pace, for we are now nearer our journey's end than we were when we had our first love. The nearer we are to our centre the quicker should our motion be. Is there but a step between us and heaven, and shall we be so very slow and dull in our Christian course, and move so heavily? The more the days are shortened, and the more grace is increased, the nearer is our salvation, and the more quick and vigorous we should be in our spiritual motions."

CHALLENGE FOR THE DAY:

For years Christians have been accused of “sleeping” on the job. We need to always be alert and attentive to not only the needs around us, but also the conditions and circumstances around us.  God did not save us to sleep…but to serve.  Ask God to identify areas where you need to be more alert and pray that He directs you to take action.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Heavenly Father, I have been guilty myself of “sleeping on the job” in the spiritual sense.  I confess my sleepiness to you and commit today to be awake to the needs and circumstances around me.  Thank you for the ministry of your Holy Spirit who causes me to be alert to what you would have me to do.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.