Did you ever lie awake reminiscing about people you used to know? Perhaps prompted by a story in the paper, you tell yourself, "Even in 7th grade I knew Sharon was going to be somebody!" or, "Poor John. Way back in high school I should have known he was headed for trouble. If only we'd seen the signs!"

I wonder if the apostles had these thoughts about Judas. For "way back" there were signs...he stole money from the poor-box...he complained about Mary giving too much to Jesus! (John 12:5-6) But, how many of his companions discerned the seriousness of these forewarnings?

"We can apply this same principle to ourselves in our walk with the Lord. Read Jesus' letters to His seven churches in the Book of Revelation. They apply to us as individuals as well as the church. Study the warning signs He gives to each of us concerning our behavior. Hear the urgency as He pleads with us to wake up and examine ourselves before it's too late. "... now it is high time to awake out of sleep...The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light" (Romans 13:11-12, NKJV).

Don't read the Word with rose-colored glasses; use it as a mirror of truth. How does your life match up with it - with no rationalizations and no compromise? Can you look back to only a week ago and see some signs? Then take heed and let the Holy Spirit correct your course.

Heavenly Father, I thank You that You have given me this time to clearly examine the signs in my life. I rebuke any spirit of self-deception which may be blinding me to my shortcomings in You. I don't want to discover on that Final Day that I've missed the mark! Help me to see the signs in my life and allow the workings of Your Holy Spirit to correct my course. In Jesus' Name, Amen.