To be on the
alert is to be vigilant, observant, and ready to act. Alertness is the mode to
be in when expecting something important to happen or trying to catch some
trouble before it happens. When on the alert, don’t allow yourself to be
distracted; otherwise, you might miss something very important.
Once when
the Philistines tried to attack King David and Israel, David did what came to
him naturally; he asked the Lord for direction. He had the habit of seeking the
Lord whenever he was in trouble, and we Christians should do the same. In
response to David’s request, the Lord gave him a strategy: “Do not attack them
straight on. Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar
trees. When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar
trees, be on the alert! That will be the signal that the Lord is moving ahead
of you to strike the Philistine army” (2 Samuel 5:23-24). David did as the Lord
commanded, and Israel defeated the Philistines!
What if David hadn’t stayed vigilant and followed God’s
instructions? That victory wouldn’t have come so easy, and the Israelites would
have been defeated by the Philistines. God’s strategies might not always make
much sense to us, but He alone is the all-knowing God; let’s do things His way!
His strategy for conquering Jericho, for example, was so unconventional; He had
Joshua and his men march around the city once a day for six days, with seven
priests carrying ram’s horns. On the seventh day, they marched seven times with
the priests blowing the rams’ horns. And as they did, the walls came tumbling
down! (See Joshua 6:3-5) That is our God!
There is no
use praying and not listening for the Lord’s response, and no use praying,
getting directions, and not obeying it. You might as well have not prayed. Our
attitude toward prayer should be that God is in charge and has the power,
authority, and ability to answer our prayers if we ask according to His will.
We should pray in faith, expressing assurance in His promises. Then we should
be vigilant and patient to see what He’ll have us do, which could be different
things: wait, do nothing, or do something.
We shouldn’t
stay alert only in regard to specific prayers; our whole Christian walk should
be a time of staying alert for a number of reasons. First, “Stay alert! Watch
out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion,
looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your
faith” (1 Peter 5:8-9).
Another
reason is so that temptations don’t take us by surprise. In the garden of
Gethsemane, Jesus asked Peter, James, and John to wait while He went over to pray.
On His return, those guys were fast asleep. He chided them, and then admonished
them, “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the
Spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (Matthew 26:41).
Thirdly, we
need to be alert so we don’t miss opportunities for service, like sharing the
gospel or meeting a need in the Body or elsewhere (see the story of Phillip and
the Ethiopian Eunuch, Acts 8:26-40). Philip obeyed the Spirit, stayed alert,
and was able to lead someone to faith in Christ and then baptize him. That new
convert went away rejoicing.
Christians,
let us stay alert:
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So we don’t become prey for the enemy. And how are we going to
maintain an ongoing state of alertness against the enemy? It’s by putting on
the whole armor of God (see Ephesians 6:11-18) at all times.
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So we don’t miss God’s directions and encouragement. But how? By
staying in the Word and on our knees. The Psalmist says, “Your word is a lamp
to guide my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105).
●
So we don’t miss opportunities for service. We should live godly
lives which in turn opens up opportunities for us to share our faith. Paul and
Silas spent their time in jail praying and singing, and when the prison doors
opened, because of an earthquake, they didn’t consider escaping. Others, in the
same difficulty, might have done differently. Under those circumstances, the
jailer asked them, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:31) That jailer
was saved that night to God’s glory.
Let’s stay alert!
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