Episode Transcript
[00:00:07] Speaker A: Welcome to the Weekday Podcast of Sugar Hill Church, where we desire to help you know God and discover your purpose, whether you're exercising, driving, meditating, or just hanging out while you tune in with us today. Thanks. We hope these next five minutes help you feel encouraged and inspired for your day.
[00:00:22] Speaker B: Hi everybody, and thanks for joining me on today's weekday Podcast. I'm so grateful you're here. Welcome back to my brief series on Psalm 121. A couple of days ago, we talked about finding our help in the Lord. Today we're focusing on a beautiful promise found in this psalm, the promise of a God who never sleeps. I'm calling today's episode the God who Never Sleeps. Have you ever tried to stay awake for 24 hours straight? I mean, maybe it was a long drive. Maybe it was in college over finals week. Maybe you had a newborn baby. I mean, whatever the situation, if you have, you know, it's nearly impossible. Our bodies just aren't designed for it. Sooner or later, no matter how much coffee you drink or how hard you try to keep your eyes open, sleep always wins. That's what makes verses 3 and 4 of Psalm 121 so remarkable. He will not let you stumble. The one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he watches over Israel. And he never slumbers or sleeps. You know, I have a friend. She's a single mom with a couple of kids under the age of 10. A few years ago, her youngest was diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy. The seizures would come without warning, often in the middle of the night, and for months she barely slept. She would set up a makeshift bed and constantly be alert for any sign of a seizure. Even when she would doze off. It was never deep sleep. It was just like a twilight sleep. One night, after an extraordinarily exhausting day, she fell into a deep sleep for the first time in weeks, and she woke with a start about 3am filled with panic. She looked over and she was terrified at what she might find. But her child was just fine, sleeping peacefully. Later, when she was in my office and talking about the challenge she was in the thick of, she said, chuck, in that moment I remembered your teaching on Psalm 121 he who watches over you will not sleep. And I realized God was watching over her and her kid.
When they slept, they didn't need to take shifts. I mean, they didn't need coffee. They have limits, just like me and you. Folks, this is one of the most comforting promises in all of Scripture, and I hope you receive it that way. The God who created the universe, who sets the stars in their courses and the earth on its foundations, never takes his eyes off you, not for a second. When you're asleep, he's awake. When you're distracted, he's focused. When you're exhausted, he's energized. When you can't keep watch over anybody, he continues his perfect vigilance. In the ancient world, a lot of people believed in gods who were temporal. I mean, they were temperamental, they were temporal, they were unreliable gods who had human limitations, who needed to sleep and rest. But the God of Israel, the one true God, he's different. He doesn't share our limitations. He doesn't grow weary, he doesn't grow tired. I mean, and you can always argue about, well, there's always somebody in greater need than me. But somehow, uniquely, wondrously, your greatest need is number one on his list. Isaiah, chapter 40 puts it so beautifully. This is in verse 28. Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. This is why we can trust him with the people and things we love most. Because when our limited strength gives out, as it inevitably will, his unlimited strength is just getting started. Look at verse five and six again. The Lord himself watches over you. The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day or the moon by night. Notice the Word watches. The watchful care isn't delegated to angels or assistants. It's Him Himself, the Creator of heaven and earth. He's personally looking over you. And notice where he positions himself right beside you. In ancient Israel, shade wasn't just a comfort, it was a necessity for survival. By describing God as our protective shade, the psalmist is saying, God provides exactly what you need, when you need it and where you need it. You know, I think sometimes, like my friend, she would say, I still set alarms to check on her. I still worry. But I don't carry the weight of thinking it all depends on me. I know God's watching over her and me every moment. Now, I want you to be careful here. The psalmist doesn't promise that nothing ever bad is going to happen. What it does promise is that nothing happens outside of God's watchful care. I think this is beautiful. Verses 7 and 8 say, the Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and you go, now and forever. The phrase keeps you from all Harm doesn't mean we'll never experience any challenges or difficulties. But it means that even in the difficulties, God is preserving us, protecting us, and working all things together for our ultimate good. You know, think about the implications of that promise. When you leave for work in the morning, God goes with you. When you tuck your kids in at night, God's with them. When you enter the hospital for procedure, God walks beside you. When you go behind, when you say goodbye to someone you love, God remains with both of you. I think sometimes we read these verses and we think, well, that's nice, Chuck. That's a sweet sentiment. But friends, it's more than poetry. It's more than metaphor. God does not sleep. He doesn't blink. He doesn't look away. He doesn't get distracted. To him, there's no more important matter than you, his beloved child, created in his own image. Friend, I don't know what keeps you up at night. Maybe it's worry about your kids. Maybe it's concern for your help. Maybe it's anxiety about the future. Maybe it's regret about the past. But whatever it is, just know he's working while you rest. Because he's the one who watches over you. He never slumbers. He never sleeps. So close your eyes, let go. Rest in the knowledge that the God who never sleeps is keeping perfect watch over you. Thanks for joining me today. If this message has encouraged you, share it with someone who might be lying awake tonight needing to be reminded of God's constant care. God bless you, friends. Thanks so much for joining me on today's weekday podcast.
[00:06:48] Speaker A: Thanks so much for joining us today for the weekday podcast. Our prayer is that the encouragement you just heard would help you live more like Jesus today. We would love to see you at Sugar Hill Church for one of our gatherings each Sunday at 9, 15 and 11. And we're always streaming live at Live Sugarhill Church. Thanks again for joining us today. As always, if today's message encouraged you, share it with friends and family by tapping the share button. Have an awesome.
