AWAKE by Mrs. Lenna Iselin

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 17, 1901

AWAKE

By Mrs. Lenna Iselin

MRS. LENNA ISELIN.

(Spring Bluff, Wis.)

“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” Rom. 13:11. These words apply especially to us. We know the time. The prophecies have opened to our view the heavenly sanctuary, and the last great work, now near its completion. The signs showing that the end is near are nearly all fulfilled. Many of us are asleep. It is indeed high time to awake. If we do not awake soon, it will be a sad awakening. But it is not the Lord’s will that we awake to hopeless despair; for He says, through His servant, “Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak to your shame.” 1 Cor. 15:34.

Oh! what a shame! After all the light God has given us, we are so negligent, so indifferent, to the perishing souls around us! Do we realize that every minute of the day, souls are dying without a “knowledge of God”? When we attend the funeral of some unsaved friend or neighbor, do we ever feel ashamed that we never sought to bring him to the saving knowledge of Christ?

God has intrusted us with a great work—a message of eternal importance, to give to the world. Are we doing it? or are we sleeping, while a few are sacrificing home, health, and the necessaries of life, to do their share, and ours also? “Many hands make light work,” is an old proverb. Is it fair to shirk our responsibilities, making the burden so heavy that our willing brothers and sisters almost fall under the load? We may do this; but one thing is sure: he who sows will reap the benefit. If we never sow any seed, we cannot expect a harvest.

I have seen men too slack to get in their crops (and of course they had little, or nothing) complain of hard times, and look with envy on the well-filled granaries of their neighbors, who were thrifty, wide-awake farmers. Thus it will be in the great harvest of the world. They who sleep away their time will look with envy on the great reward of the righteous.

“But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.” The enemy never sleeps; he is diligent, working to deceive souls: and while we are sleeping, he has every advantage. The few seeds that we have sown are choked out, and our labor is lost.

We find in the history of Jonah a parallel with our own time. The Lord gave him a work to do—as He has given every one of us. He was told to go to Nineveh and cry against it; but instead of doing as the Lord commanded, he fled from His presence. He went aboard a ship bound for Tarshish; but soon a mighty tempest arose, so that the ship was in danger, and they were obliged to cast forth wares to lighten it. Still, they were in danger of sinking. The ship-master, seeing Jonah fast asleep in the sides of the ship, went to him, saying, “What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God.”

Just as soon as Jonah refused to do the work God gave him, he yielded to slumber, and by his unfaithfulness brought not only himself, but all who were with him, into danger. This is ever the case. If we neglect duty, we become careless and indifferent—asleep to the dangers around us. The Lord is merciful, and does not leave us to ourselves. He sends trials and afflictions, to bring us into harmony with himself.

The men, in order to secure their own safety, cast Jonah into the sea; but the Lord did not forsake him, but prepared a great fish to swallow him. Jonah repented of the wrong course he had taken, and called upon God. His prayer was heard. He was delivered, and permitted to warn the city, as first directed.

Have we fled from the work of the Lord? If so, let us yield to His entreaties and return. “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion.” “It is high time to awake.”

The question often comes to my mind, What can I do? “Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that sleepest, . . . and Christ shall give thee light.” The first thing, then, is to awake, and Christ will give us light concerning what He would have us do. He wishes us to be faithful in the performance of little things. He says, “Thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things.”

A parent never gives the toddling child heavy duties to perform, but increases the work in proportion to the growth of the child. God would not have us to be always babes. He says, “When for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.”

The minister ought not to be obliged to spend so much time with churches, when there are so many without “the knowledge of God.” Every member should study the Word daily, and thus be able to teach others.

The time is fast hastening when the work will be finished. Some will have a deep, pitying love for dying souls around them. Some will lay all selfishness and worldliness aside, and push the work to its close. Some will hear the invitation, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” “Shall you? Shall I?”

Awake! for night is fast approaching! Oh! sleep not longer, nor delay! Work for dying souls around you, While you have the light of day. Soon the darkness will enfold you, And you’ll grope in anguish deep; For the work you long neglected, While your eyes were closed in sleep.