The God Who Watches over You
By Clarence L. Haynes Jr.
“Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” – Psalm 121:4
We have a young daughter who is still getting used to sleeping in her own bed in her own room. I feel it is taking much longer for this to happen, but maybe that is a conversation for another time. Recently she came into our bedroom, and she said she couldn’t fall asleep because she was afraid. We had just prayed before she went to bed, and yet she said she was still afraid. I encouraged her it was going to be okay and she could go back to her room. To this, she responded, “Could you at least stay with me until I fall asleep?” I thought that was a reasonable request, so I went into her room and sat with her until she fell asleep. The comfort in her knowing I was there, watching over her, and being able to protect her if something happened allowed her to fall asleep quickly and rest easily.
As I thought about her request, it reminded me of Psalm 121:4. We have a God in heaven who never sleeps nor slumbers. If we are going to have full disclosure, we are more like my daughter than we sometimes want to admit. Even after praying, we can still find ourselves afraid, anxious, or worried. Many times, this results from not knowing what will happen or how things are going to work out. It is in these moments we need to do like my daughter did. What she desired was the comfort of my presence, and because she knew I was there, it changed her mindset and gave her peace. This is exactly what we must do.
The answers to life’s situations are first found in God’s presence. This should be the first place we run to. The presence of God does not mean situations change immediately. What it means is your ability to endure the situation does.
The God who is always on watch.
This Psalm gives us a promise that God is always on watch, and when he is watching over you nothing will get past his attentive eyes. Here are some truths about God. We need rest; he doesn’t. We can only see what is right in front of us. He sees the whole picture. While we are wondering what the plan is, he has already figured it all out.
What I love about this verse is that God is not a casual onlooker. He is not standing on the sidelines waiting to see what is going to happen. He is an active participant in your life, directing the things he will allow in and the things he will keep out. Because you know he is on watch, you can rest.
Two ways to think about watches:
In the OT and NT, a watch was a period where someone stood guard. The person standing guard was called a watchman, and one of their roles was to protect.
The other way to think about this is we have a God who does not sleep. This means he is always vigilant when you call. When I was watching over my daughter at any moment, if she had an issue, I was there to help. If, in my limited capacity, I can do that for my daughter, how much more will God, in his unlimited capacity, do that for you? You can be confident that regardless of when you call upon him, his ears are always attentive to hear your cries.
The takeaway.
God is fully alert and aware of your situation. He is watching over and protecting you, and when you call upon him, he is there to help you. As you go through your life situation today, rest easy knowing God is on duty. He will protect you. He will keep you. He will be with you. When I was sitting in her room, my daughter fell asleep quickly because my presence eased her fears. When you know God is watching over you, the same will happen to you. Rest knowing that God never sleeps nor slumbers. He will always be with you, and he stands ready to help you in your time of need.
Intersecting faith and life:
The best thing about God’s eyes is he sees things before I see them, and he sees the things I cannot see.
Further Reading:
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Blend Images - Inti St Clair
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