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In a few days we will be springing forward as we perform our annual duty of turning our clocks ahead one hour. I like daylight savings time because of the availability of sunshine after work, but the switchover and the loss of an hour of sleep makes for a rough day or two. I recall a time when we made the time change and it took its toll on me. While still trying to adjust to the new time, I could feel the strong urge to try and recapture my lost hour of sleep as I closed my eyes and quickly immersed into deep restful sleep. But while my senses were dull with sleep I could tell that there was a ringing sound nearby. My wife heard it too as she was awakened by it, and she urgently told me the doorbell was ringing and I needed to get up and see who it was. As I raised my head and looked at the clock it showed that it was four o’clock. It is amazing what kind of dreadful thoughts can go through the mind when deep sleep is suddenly interrupted at such an hour. Who could it be? Was it the authorities coming with some horrible news that warranted waking me up at four o’clock? It made for some anxious moments while I tried to figure out what was going on.

A knock on the door or the ringing of a doorbell is obviously for the purpose of getting the attention of those inside to alert them that someone is outside wanting to come in, or at least to speak to someone on the inside. Quite often the knock is totally unexpected and sometimes it comes at a time that is considered to be inconvenient. Spiritually speaking, there are times when the Lord knocks on the door of our hearts. In Revelation 3:20 Christ stated, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me” (New International Version).

This statement of Christ was given as He expressed a strong rebuke to a church—the church at Laodicea—because of their sickening spiritual condition. They apparently had convinced themselves that they were in good shape and did not need a thing. But He could see deeper than the surface and He understood their real need. He knew they needed to repent, to have a complete turnaround, and to return to where they needed to be spiritually.

We have abundance in our nation as far as material things are concerned, but it is becoming increasingly obvious that we lack so much of the very thing that we need most. As a nation we need to hear the knock of the Lord upon our heart and invite Him to come in and help us turn around through repentance of heart. Doing so is the only solution that will make a lasting positive impact on our nation and on the hearts of the people who make up this nation.

When the doorbell got my attention and pulled me out of deep sleep, I knew better than to ignore it; it surely had to be important to call for my attention at that hour. But after regaining my senses I realized that I was not in the bed, but I was napping in my recliner and it was indeed four o’clock, but it was in the afternoon and not in the early hour of the morning! And it was not bad news at all waiting at our door, but one of the kids in our community just dropping by to say hello to Miss Gale. What a relief!