It was one afternoon this week when I felt a bit tired so I pushed back in my easy chair and closed my eyes. I wasn’t asleep, but to any onlooker I must be, my eyes were closed. Suddenly I was aware of a movement. I moved my eyelids to that I could see through my lashes. It was our dog, Jack. I could also see the clock behind him. It was nearly time for our afternoon walk. To Jack, I appeared to be asleep. Did he whimper to rouse me? Did he paw me? No, he curled up at my feet to wait for me. He displayed great faith that I would not forget our walk. I would get up in time. I did. He was excited when I stood up, and I was happy to see him happy.
It must be like this at times where our Heavenly Father is concerned. We are waiting for Him to do something concerning some difficulty in which we find ourselves. Perhaps there are broken relationships, illness, financial worries. We approach God but He seems to be sleeping. Doesn’t He know the time? The minutes are ticking by. It will be too late if He doesn’t do something soon! Our stress levels rise. We can’t sleep. We pace about in worry. We either can’t eat or can’t stop eating in our turmoil. Where is God?
God doesn’t break His promises. He has told us that He will never leave us or abandon us. (Hebrews 13:5) He has assured us that when we come to Him with our burdens He will give us rest. (Matthew 11:28) He has urged us to cast our worries upon Him because He cares about us. (I Pete5 5:7) I love the verse in Proverbs 15:3 that informs us, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” He knows all the details of our lives, and in His time He will rise up and meet our every need. Remember, our needs are not always satisfied in the physical realm, but in the spiritual where He gives peace the world cannot give.
It may appear He is sleeping, but He never closes His eyes. He is always watching over us, longing to share in our joy that comes when we exhibit faith in Him. When Jack thought I was asleep he could have become agitated, thinking I wasn’t going to meet his needs, but he didn’t. He did what we all need to do when it seems our Heavenly Father is asleep and unaware of our needs — curl up and sleep at His feet. We can wholly trust our Father. He won’t forget what we need. Father’s timing is always perfect. He’s never too late or too early. He’s always watching over. He’s always guiding and loving. Why not rest in His presence, sharing in His peace and joy. After all, agitation never brings peace.