I must admit that one of the first things that pop into my head when I read "Awake, my soul" was the intense singing from a Mumford and Sons song. I will now sing the song with more meaning after this.
Awake, my soul, consider the actions which thou hast done; set them before thine eyes, and the drops of thy tears fall. With boldness tell Christ of thy deeds and thoughts, and so be justified.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
-Cannon of St. Andrew in Frederica Mathewes-Green's First Fruits of Prayer - Chapter 17 Page 67 Section 151
This is one of the few sections that Frederica does not comment on, but I find particularly interesting. It reminds me of a story from the book of Judges. With this in mind, I find myself taking a deeper look at my own transgressions.
In Judges 19 a Levite and his concubine are traveling home and are among the Benjaminites (part of God's people/family) looking for a place to stay for the night. No one was hospitable until a man from the Hill Country of Ephraim is sojourning in the land and invites them in. He attempted to do the right thing by being hospitable but the whole thing became a mess. At the fault of seemingly everyone involved, crooked men from the surrounding area end up abusing and raping the poor concubine. The Levite takes her home (who knows if she is dead, but she is not responsive) and cuts her into 12 pieces and sends her throughout Israel. Nothing like this has happened before. I'm sure people were disgusted and it had to make them really think about their own spiritual condition. The passage ends in this way.
And all who saw it said, “Such a thing has never happened or been seen from the day that the people of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt until this day; consider it, take counsel, and speak.” -Judges19:30
Don't go through life thinking your sanctification has arrived, it's in those moments we needs God's grace to examine, contemplate, and cry out to Jesus for our sin.
