Slipping into Sleep

"When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?... A little sleep, a little slumber... so shall thy poverty come" (Proverbs 6:9-11).  "The Son of man is as a Man taking a far journey, who left His house, and gave authority to His servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.  Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the Master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:  lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping" (Mark 13:34-36). 

A little sleep, a little slumber,

When we are called to be awake,

May waste our days, so few in number,

Which could be lived for Jesus' sake. 

Our Savior has explained it thus: 

It's like a Man who journeyed when

He gave His servants (meaning us),

Their tasks until He comes again. 

We have a charge we should be keeping,

A special work He gives each one. 

As servants, will He find us sleeping,

Or will He say to us "Well done!"?  

We neither know when He'll return

Nor if He'll call us home through death.   

So let us watch, and thus discern

His will with every borrowed breath. 

O Lord, we thank You for assurance

In this great promise that You give

With grace that gives to us endurance: 

Because You live, we too shall live. 

In every waking hour, Lord,

We'd labor as we look to You.  

Your smile shall be our reward

In every work that we pursue. 

Lord, till the day we're face to face,

We'd seek the lost as straying sheep,

Awakened daily by Your grace

Instead of slipping into sleep.