JUST ONE HOUR -- With JESUS

The CHRISTmas season is that time of year of greatest hustle and bustle when Believers -- professing followers of CHRIST JESUS -- are tempted to “fall asleep” (to be so caught up with buying gifts, decorating trees, putting up lights, shopping for holiday delicacies, practicing for church pageantries, entertaining visitors) -- so as to dash around so busily with all this stuff that we won’t (will not, for it is our choice whether to will to do, or to will not to do) even spend one hour with JESUS.

Some of us will say, “But I do make time to be in intimate fellowship with GOD! I give Him 20 minutes here, 15 minutes there, 15 more between this and that…and I plan to pray another 10 minutes at midnight before I fall asleep.”

JESUS, Son of Man, during His incalculable agonizing hour in Gethsemane, told His followers (His actual disciples) to watch and pray with Him.  He didn’t ask much…just for their prayers and emotional support as He wrestled deep within His soul -- His soul that was exceedingly sorrowFUL, even unto death…the worst emotional and mental anguish that any human has ever experienced.

JESUS found His followers asleep.  “WHAT! Could you not watch with Me one hour?”

Watch and pray that we do not enter into the temptation of texting and Tweeting and facebook-ing for hours, of worrying and sorrowing and coveting those toys we can’t afford to buy, of making the celebration of CHRISTmas be our god, rather than worshiping JESUS as The GOD that He is by honoring Him with our time -- time that is His gift to us by His gracious will anyway.

JESUS was prayed up -- thoroughly prepared and supernaturally strengthened for what He knew was about to happen.  Our heavenly Father did answer His fervent prayer. He was delivered from that which He feared, which was, lest by impatience and distrust He should offend His Father, and so disable Himself to go on with His undertaking. (Hebrews 5:7) GOD provided that He should not fail or be discouraged. (Luke 22:43).  This excerpt is from Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible.

JESUS’ disciples fell asleep, for the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.  They were not prayed up -- they did not even pray, “The LORD deliver me from this sleepy devil!”

So when that time came (as our time will also come) of great trial and overwhelming upheaval, all the disciples of JESUS scattered…lost in their fears, depression, sorrows.  They did not watch and pray even that one hour.

JESUS is the very Reason for this season, and the only Reason for our very brief season here on earth.  So isn’t it Reason-able that we watch and pray with Him in that ALLways season-able one hour?

This CHRISTmas, let us not fall asleep, but daily watch and pray for one hour -- one wholesome hour of sweet intimacy, delicious enlightenment and delightFUL fellowship with CHRIST JESUS -- our King…our LORD!