Keep Awake

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Monday morning, the 13th of July, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Book of Proverbs 27:17: ”As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” Then we go to 1 Thessalonians 5:6: ”Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.” We have a responsibility, don’t we? Now, how do we keep awake? I heard this from C H Spurgeon, the great Baptist preacher. He said one way we keep vigilant and on our toes, as it were, is through Christian fellowship. Do not isolate yourself, my dear friend, if it is possible at all, but have fellowship with one another, not just in church on a Sunday morning, or in a fellowship group on a Wednesday night, but all the time, wherever you meet someone. I had the privilege of speaking to a young man not so long ago. I met up with him. I was on a campsite right up in the northern part of South Africa, and as we started talking, he said to me, ”You know, I remember like yesterday, the big tent on your farm. It was a turning point in my life, sitting in that tent with thirty thousand men inside and another thirty thousand men outside, and how we had fellowship together and how we spoke about the things of God.” As I spoke to him, I was encouraged myself, iron sharpening iron, sparks flying, having a laugh, and maybe even a tearful moment, thinking about how the Holy Spirit moved in our lives together! That is what keeps you on your toes. That is what keeps you from becoming slothful, becoming sleepy, and not watching and praying. So when we had finished, we greeted each other, we prayed, and he went on his way rejoicing, and I was rejoicing. Why? Because we were having fellowship. We were not sleeping as others do but we were talking about our beloved Saviour and the miracle-working power that we find when we spend time talking about Him together.Jesus bless you and remember, if Christ is for you, there is no man that will stand against you.Jesus bless you and goodbye.