When God Seems Asleep - Martin Wiles

Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” Mark 4:38 NLT

He was asleep; I was his boss.

After a short layoff, the mill called me back as a floor sweeper on third shift in the cloth room. When a chance for a supervisory position opened, I applied and got the job. The superintendent hired Derek to replace me.

The floor sweeper job was simple, but Derek didn’t enjoy sweeping. He did, however, enjoy sleeping.

As I made my nightly rounds to make sure everything and everyone was okay, I found Derek sleeping in various places. Once, I discovered him rolled up in a small roll of second’s cloth. I warned him. Another time, I found him asleep at the inspectors’ desk. I gave him a final warning, “One more time and I’ll send you home.”

His final time came soon thereafter. As I made my rounds, I saw Derek asleep … again … at the inspectors’ desk. I sent him home. The superintendent fired him. Derek didn’t seem to care about the cloth falling all around him. He just wanted to sleep.

To the disciples, Jesus seemed unconcerned too. All day, Jesus had taught about God’s Kingdom by telling stories to a huge crowd of people. He suggested to His disciples that they cross the lake and leave the crowds. Tired from the day, Jesus did what tired people do: slept. Only He slept while the disciples battled a storm that threatened to sink the boat.

Like Derek, Jesus didn’t seem to care about what was happening around Him. The disciples awoke Him, and He calmed the storm. What appeared as a big deal, wasn’t.

I’ve also endured situations where it didn’t appear God cared what happened to me—as if He was asleep in heaven while I struggled on earth.

When I face those experiences, I go to God’s Word, and I remember past experiences. Whether I’m awake or asleep, God remains awake. The great Father of heaven never sleeps or slumbers. Even when we can’t see His hand at work in our situations, He is working—and always for our good, never our detriment.

Not only does God govern our lives, but He also governs the world. All things are under His control. In the theological world, we call this His omnipotence and His omnipresence.

When God appears unconcerned about your life situations, remember He never is.

Prayer: Father, thank You for never sleeping or ignoring our life’s struggles.

Tweetable: Does it appear as if God has gone to sleep on you? 

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