A God Who Never Sleeps - iBelieve Truth - October 9, 2023
“He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” –Psalm 121:3-4 (NIV)
A family that I follow on Instagram recently welcomed a newborn. The mom records her nights with the baby and publishes a short time-lapse as a reel. I noticed several posts where she starts recording the baby crying around midnight, then the camera shows her and her husband taking turns caring for him throughout the night, well into the early morning hours.
It seems like their adorable baby boy never stops crying and always needs a diaper change or to be fed. His parents, though they love him, are tired and simply want a good night’s sleep. But they press through, waking every time their baby cries and faithfully meeting his needs.
All of this reminded me of God’s goodness. As our Heavenly Father, He never grows tired of taking care of us, from birth through our entire lives. Unlike earthly parents, God never needs sleep! The Bible says He never slumbers. He’s always alert, ready to take care of us every day and night. God has unlimited resources and is able to see our future. Only God knows what tomorrow holds and only He can completely prepare us for it.
God is the best Parent. The Bible says that even if our earthly mother or father forsakes us, God will take us in (Psalm 27:10). That means that no matter what happens, we always have a perfect Parent whom we can trust to be there for us and meet every need.
I appreciate God’s patience. There have been times in my life when my needs overwhelmed my mom and dad, but they still tried their best to help me. As I grew up, I learned to lean on God as my Parent, too. We can never overwhelm God nor can we be “too much” for Him (even when we feel like we are too much for fellow humans). It gives me hope and peace to know that my Heavenly Father is always “on the clock” and never grows weary of caring for me.
A few nights ago, I was awake near midnight and really needed to be encouraged. My family members were sleeping, and years ago, God taught me the importance of going to Him first. So I quieted my soul and reached for my favorite “True Identity” Bible. I paused to pray for God to speak to me through His Word and to send His Holy Spirit to teach me. Then I opened my Bible and a study quote immediately stood out to me. Focusing on the text, I read it aloud once and then several times because it was everything I needed to hear.
It said: “The real issue in life is not the search for God’s will; it is the search for God. The issue in faith is not knowing what God is doing, rather it is knowing that God knows what he is doing. The issue of faith is seeking God’s presence, not God’s plan for my life, because there is no plan outside of my knowing him.”
I’m still unpacking all the pearls of wisdom in those three sentences. I’ve been struggling to know God’s will for my life and trying to build stronger faith. But God is patient and He’s a Master Teacher. He knows exactly what we need and, even if we don’t know what He’s doing, we can rest in knowing Him and trusting Him completely. God met me with that inspired word at midnight, giving me help no human could have in that moment. I am so grateful!
Let’s look at what Psalm 121 says about our help coming from God:
“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.”
In closing, I’d like to share the song “My Help,” based on this Scripture, by Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.
Let’s Pray: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for always being there for us and meeting every need. Help us to rely on You more than anything else. Help us to rest easy knowing that You’re in control. In Jesus’s Name, I pray. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Tony Rowell
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