Wake Up?? Wake Up!! by Natalie McGehee
Lately, I’ve had several nights where I woke up around 4:30 or 5 am and could not go back to sleep. I tried all the things to get back to sleep – flipping my pillow, lavender essential oil, praying – but still I lay struggling to sleep. I knew the day coming would be rough if I didn’t have the rest I needed. So, I tossed and turned to, finally, fall asleep as daylight broke through to a new morning. Now, I was starting the day confused on why I was having trouble sleeping well and frustrated that I had once again slept too late.
My verse to meditate upon this morning was 2 Corinthians 3:17 and in the CSB it says,
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
Immediately, the phrase “the Spirit” leapt out at me. I read again and again in a meditative way asking the Lord to amplify and illuminate his word for me. The Lord is the Spirit. Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit are one and to follow the Holy Spirit is to follow Jesus.
While pondering these things, the Lord gently reminded me that I had recently been asking him to wake me earlier and help me to be more intentional with my mornings. To have the time and preparation in the morning for time with Him and the tasks that needed to be done. I have been unhappy with my lack of self-discipline and knew that it was beyond me to fix this in me. I had asked him to guide me, equip me, wake me and inspire me towards a new start each day.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
What if this had been the Holy Spirit waking me in the very early morning? Granted, I had not thought of a wakeup call from the divine One. I just wanted to get up when my alarm went off! But what if I was not struggling against insomnia, but against the Living Spirit of God? What if He was answering my prayers, just not in the way I had planned? What if he had blessing waiting for me, but I fought for sleep? What if true rest would have been found in following the leading of the Spirit? Did I want freedom from my own weak efforts to change or did I want freedom?
Freedom from sin. Freedom from shame. Freedom from repercussions. Freedom from expectations. Freedom to not be better, do better, look better, but instead to be in the Spirit and follow where He leads – there lies freedom. Freedom for me and freedom for you, beloved of the Lord.
Now, the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, this is from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 CSB