Recently I awoke from a dream with a start. I didn't know where I was or what was happening. I didn't even know who I was. I had fallen asleep in an armchair in the family room. That was quite an awakening to reality.

Some time ago, I had left a message at the desk of a hotel where I was staying. I wanted to get up at 6 a.m. so that I wouldn't miss an important meeting. The phone rang and a very pleasant voice on the other side said, "Mr. Lavin, this is your wake up call." Startled, I jumped out of bed, asking the question out loud, "What am I supposed to do?" Wake up calls are like that. They face us with reality, sometimes before we think we are ready.

Jeremiah was trying to wake up the people of his day to the reality of God. They were asleep to the reality of God; filled with illusio…