Kingdom Blog

The focus this month seems to be ‘Alertness’, meaning ‘Being aware of what is taking place around me so I can respond appropriately’.

From a Biblical point of view, for this conjures up all sort of things, but three things that particularly come to mind are:

(1) Being watchful, or on the watch.

In the Old Testament the ‘watchmen’ phrase is used from time to time and taking up the watch. Referring to the concept of being on alert, keeping an eye out for what is coming, and perhaps responding based on what you see. Jesus took it a step further an encouraged His disciples, and us, to be on the ‘watch’, looking always for His return. In both cases the challenge is abundantly clear, how do you maintain that stance…especially for many, many years! I mean, try focussing your attention on one simple thing, and not miss even the obvious. Our own preconceived ideas, or personal filters, will mean we can even miss the obvious.

My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning— Yes, more than those who watch for the morning. (Psalm 130:6)

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” (Matthew 25:13)

(2) Being aware of and meeting the needs around you

The idea of actually being a help to someone, and not just given them wise words, is a concept particularly emphasised in the New Testament of the Bible, principally because of the amazing works of Christ, who went about not only healing and delivering many, but He also seemed to particularly help those considered outcasts of society. The blind, the leper, the lame, foreign women, etc. In His days on earth the needs of others made even clearer as they tended to gather in crowds around Him wherever He went, however Jesus also seemed to be able to see those who were out of apparent line of sight, think of Zacchaeus, or the woman with an issue of blood.

“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’” (Matthew 25:44,45)

If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? (James 2:15,16)

(3) Being alert to the ‘enemies’ schemes

The prowling lion, or the enemy at the door, are phrases made famous by the Bible, describing the ever-present threat of an invisible enemy that is just waiting to attack when you are weak or just not alert to the threat. This is perhaps the thing that is hardest to be alert for…because you just done know what you are looking for, other than jumping at every shadow. And yet, the threat is real.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. (Luke 4:13)

It all seems to hard?

How can we possibly maintain such a focus…when there is so much to be alert for? If we consider the three items I have just mentioned you can get a sense the obvious challenge, apparently you need to be alert to the invisible enemy, while also looking to the need that is in front of your face, while looking to the distant return of Christ or an upcoming event…being both present and future sighted at the same time. In addition, we are to do all this both from ‘spiritual’ and ‘natural perspective, overcoming the cognitive biases that often blind us to truths and facts hidden in plain sight.

The other challenge this can also cause is undue stress or anxiety, depending on your personality. Those people who have natural strengths such as being strategic, futuristic, input, could find themselves worrying about tomorrow so they don’t see today clearly, or being overly consumed with consuming the very present data around them!

But…God.

The answer to all this it seems is the divine KISS principle, ‘Keep It Simple Saint, Focus on God’.

In the end we in of ourselves are not on what I call the ‘omnibus’, that is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, but God is all seeing, all knowing, present in every moment, and the power in and to do all this. The awesome thing is that for those who believe in Christ, these very characteristics make there home in us! So, our challenge, though still difficult, is to turn our attention to be alert to the invisible God, who made it easier by making His home in us, and continually reveals Himself to us through all the ways people normally learning – visually, movement, what we hear, people, in solitude, spoken words, or reading or logical thinking.

Jesus says. ‘I only did what I saw My Fathering doing’, ‘Seek first the kingdom of God’, to first love (intimately know) God, and the main work is to ‘believe”. So even though He is indeed all knowing/seeing, ever-present, and all powerful, He showed us the way knowing our limitations. While here on earth Jesus did heal so many, see so much, warned us of what is to come, and dealt so magnificently with the enemy, and yet He also made it clear His focus was on what God revealed. If that is true for Him, it is so much truer for us, and for me quite comforting thing.

I am continually on a journey of needing to be more aware of God, to know what He is revealing to me, and to act on what He keep inspiring me to do so, all while living out the necessary mundane. This is about trusting God, and having the heart to act as He reveals. The Spirit of God knows the will of our Father in heaven, and He will guide us in what we need to watch for, to help the one He brings across our path, and reveal the schemes of the enemy we need to be aware of.

And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, (2 Corinthians 3:4-5)

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ (Philippians 3:7-8)

We are only fully sufficient in all things when God is our sufficiency. As we learn to rest in the knowledge that we are adopted children of God, now seated with Christ in heavenly places, and indeed loved and held precious by the only being who is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, with a life forever with Him, we become more able to embrace the challenge of knowing Him above all the other things we want or worry about. For surely, knowing such a loving God, who can look past all my failings, and yet still choose me to be with Him for eternity, and to share in His inheritance, is such a compelling story I just need to get to know the author so much more. And as I do so, with a heart to please Him, I am alert to all I need to be alert to.

So, we are simply called to be Alert for Christ around us, and what He is leading us to!