Awake to Strength

“Awake, awake!
Put on your strength, O Zion;
put on your beautiful garments, 
O Jerusalem, the holy city!”
(Isaiah 52:1a NKJV)

One morning my heart was sad. Although I was half-awake, I started focusing on the wrong thing, and I needed God’s help to refocus my attention and strengthen my heart. Even though I wanted more sleep, I opened my Bible, and my eyes fell on the verse I needed.

The “awake, awake!” part got my attention. But more importantly, this verse called on God’s people to put on strength. This passage in Isaiah talks about God restoring His people after they had been in captivity.

Is your heart held captive by something? Too often we let our hearts become captive to sorrow, fear, anger, or sin; and we are lulled into despair or apathy. We may think, Things will always be this way, or I just don’t care anymore. But God calls us to “awake!” and to depart from our captivity (Isa 52:11). He wants us to leave behind the burden of despair, and to embrace His ways instead, His ways that are good for us and build us up in godliness. He wants us to put on strength and to share life’s journey with Him in the fullness of His joy and power.

After realizing that I had the choice of moving past sadness and adjusting my focus to be on God, my strength returned, and I was able to tackle the day. If a struggle has lulled you into a not-wanting-to-deal-with-it stupor, awake into God’s bright sunshine of joy and strength. He has not left you to handle life on your own. He is always with you. Find strength in His presence with you and in the hope and guidance that’s found in His Word. Put on your strength!

Awake: A Poem, A Call

Awake to light, awake to hope!
Awake to strength replacing weakness.
Awake to beauty displacing brokenness.

Are you ready for all the good that will come?
Of God rising, His wings drowning out the cries of hopelessness.
Of God fighting, His sword clashing with the lies and schemes of the enemy.

Awake to courage, awake to victory!
Awake to wisdom dispelling confusion.
Awake to power obliterating despair.

Are you looking for His descent into your turmoil?
Are you trusting that He will use His majestic splendor to rescue and heal?
Be prepared for the rapture of your heart out of darkness and misery.

Awake to sing, awake to tell!
Awake to purposefulness slashing aimlessness.
Awake to urgency eclipsing apathy.

Are you sharing how God has rescued you?
It’s your story, your privilege, your treasure.
It’s your memorial when darkness comes marching again.