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God Never, Ever, Ever Sleeps

by Tsh Oxenreider Jan 23, 2016 in:Everyday Faith

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01232016_TshOxenrider_UnderTheCreator

Tuesdays are my busiest day of the week.

I take my three children to their various schools (which, of course, all start at the same time), then I start the evening’s dinner in the slow cooker before starting my work for the day. It’s the day reserved for phone calls, Skype meetings, and email inbox processing, and once those are done, I squeeze out first drafts of my week’s writing assignments until it’s time to pick up the kids.

Then, I take one child to his speech and occupational therapy for two hours before heading home in the dark to finally sit down to a dinner with the family, where I watch my youngest struggle to keep his eyes open before bedtime.

It’s a typical day for many women, I’d wager. Tuesdays are certainly not my personal favorite.

On days like this, I find myself begging for a bit of mercy. I look for a sign of relief from the crazy of it all.

“I lift up my eyes to the hills — from where will my help come?” {Psalm 121:1}

Most fellow women I know don’t struggle with not doing enough. Sun up to sun down, in our comings and goings, our lives beg us for busyness — errands, drop-offs, pick-ups, sign-offs, deadlines, dinner on the table, dragging our bodies to bed far too late at night. We have more than enough to do.

“My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” {Psalm 121:2}

No, our struggle isn’t with not having enough opportunities to fill our plates. Our struggle is with overfilling our plates to overflow. We glance at our commitments on one side, glance at our capacity on the other, and hope to goodness that they somehow, miraculously squeeze together with enough left over for us to eat, shower, and sleep.

In all our small laundry lists, there is One who keeps our feet steady.

“He will not let your foot be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” {Psalm 121:3-4}

God will not let us be moved. And better still — while our human, mortal bodies recover from the day’s crazy with the sleep we desperately crave, God remains awake, all-powerful, all-divine, all-loving, keeping watch over it all as the perfect sustainer He is. The perfect sustainer we need.

We are watched, protected, restored, renewed under the Creator, spinning the stars.

House at night under stars

photo credit

As we go out and come in, now and forevermore, God keeps us. We are kept.

Nothing is unnoticed, nothing in God’s plan for us is done without God’s help.

“The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.” {Psalm 121:5}

We are people who, in the weight of the world’s busyness and on our repetitive Tuesdays, have a God who keeps us from slipping, from getting burned by the sun, from being overtaken by it all. We can rest soundly in this truth while God never, ever, ever tires.

“The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.” {Psalm 121:8}

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God remains awake—keeping watch—as the perfect sustainer He is. The perfect sustainer we need. {Tweet this!}

by Tsh Oxenreider
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Tsh Oxenreider

Tsh Oxenreider is the author of Notes From a Blue Bike and the founder of The Art of Simple. She's host of The Simple Show, and her passion is to inspire people that 'living simply' means making room for more of the stuff that really matters, and that the right,...
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Comments

  1. Bev @ Walking Well With God says

    January 23, 2016 at 6:34 am

    Tsh,
    Beautiful post! In a couple of the scriptures it talked about God being my “keeper”. God keeps my foot from being moved; He keeps me from being cast down; He keeps my going out and my coming in; He keeps me. With all the things God has to do, He cares enough about me that He never slumber or sleeps and He cares enough about my little life to “Keep ME”…feeling blessed…thank you!
    Blessings,
    Bev

    • Anna finley says

      January 23, 2016 at 9:32 am

      Amen!!!!!

  2. Susan says

    January 23, 2016 at 9:15 am

    So, no “Simply Tuesday” for you, Tsh? First thing I thought of as I read your words! I will think of you next Tuesday, and PRAY.

  3. Anna finley says

    January 23, 2016 at 9:30 am

    Perfect timing for me today….tho today is Saturday…..:). Needed it 4 totally different reasons……interesting how God works……..thx for posting……….

  4. Sheryl87 says

    January 23, 2016 at 12:20 pm

    Thank you so much for this! I’m find myself in a very busy time right now and wondering how I will make it through. I love the idea of God as our keeper, keeping watch and sustaining us while we sleep. Blessings. Sheryl

  5. Melinda Means says

    January 23, 2016 at 2:12 pm

    One of the things that God has really been impressing upon me these last six months especially is to simplify. Not only what I’m DOING, the amount of information I’m putting in my mind. I’m not talking about BAD stuff, necessarily … just too much information, period. Information overload drowns out the voice of the Holy Spirit for me and adds to my stress, anxiety and overall scattered feeling. I want to be able to hear His voice more clearly. When I allow Him to guide me, life seems so much less overwhelming.

  6. Melinda Means says

    January 23, 2016 at 4:48 pm

    One of the things that God has really been impressing upon me these last six months especially is to simplify. Not only what I’m DOING, but even what I’m putting in my mind. I’m not talking about BAD stuff, necessarily … just too much information, period. Information overload drowns out the voice of the Holy Spirit for me and adds to my stress, anxiety and overall scattered feeling. I want to be able to hear His voice more clearly. When I allow Him to guide me, life seems so much less overwhelming.

  7. MillennialMom says

    January 23, 2016 at 8:25 pm

    This is perfect timing. After a week that began with a local police officer being gunned down in cold blood and then a Facebook friend’s husband (and father of two) being unjustifiably shot multiple times (and killed) by police the very next day–I have needed to be reassured that God hasn’t dropped the ball on this broken planet. These two tragedies are enough to leave even the strongest among us feeling vulnerable and frightened. And in a time when evil seems to be winning, it’s refreshing to be reminded that God is not sleep on the job, and that He is enough. Thanks.

  8. Sandi Brewer says

    January 25, 2016 at 11:37 am

    Boy! Psalms 121 is just loaded for just the stuff this gal needs today! I needed it all week end. Thank you so much. the answers are right there, it is so simple, but I made it so hard. I just needed to see
    this and I knew I needed to be right where you were led for us. God in His wisdom love us so much …. He makes it lovingly and beautifully simple to find our guidance. We, fogged in with the business of life, we make it hard. Or is it just me? Hugs to all. Have a beautiful week in Him, through Him, and by Him!

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