"The Sovereign Hand of Sleeplessness: Finding God's Purpose in Restless Nights"

The Sovereign Hand of Sleeplessness

As a parent of young children, I often find myself on a red-eye flight to exhaustion. Fellow parents know exactly what I mean. We all have memories of recurring nights in which each little person in the house seemed to need something, desperately, between the hours of midnight and five o’clock. But even if you're not a parent, you probably have some other form of exhaustion breathing down your neck right now. Whether it’s a job with relentless billable-hour expectations, an endless ream of readings, exams, and papers due soon, or just an aging body that never seems to be fully rested anymore, fighting off stress, worry, and anxiety can become a nightly battle, making it difficult to get the mental peace that often serves as a precursor to physical peace.

The lack of rest feels like an enemy, and to some extent, it is. The dysfunction of a fallen world guarantees that we will never have perfect rest in this life. But what if God uses our sleeplessness for our good? What if he is using our exhaustion to accomplish his purposes in our lives?

The Sovereignty of God in Sleeplessness

It can be difficult to see the sovereignty of God in the midst of sleepless nights. When we’re lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, or pacing the floor, it’s easy to feel like God has abandoned us. But the Bible teaches us that God is sovereign, even over our sleeplessness. In Psalm 121, the psalmist writes:

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

God never sleeps, and he never slumbers. He is always watching over us, even when we can’t sleep. In fact, he may be using our sleeplessness to draw us closer to him. When we can’t find rest in our beds, we may be more likely to turn to God for rest in our souls.

The Purpose of Sleeplessness

God uses everything in our lives for our good and his glory (Romans 8:28). That includes our sleeplessness. But what could possibly be good about not being able to sleep?

For one thing, sleeplessness can help us to rely more fully on God. When we’re tired and worn out, we may be more likely to cry out to him for help. In Psalm 62, the psalmist writes:

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

When we can’t sleep, we may be forced to wait in silence before God, trusting in him alone for salvation. This can be a powerful reminder that our ultimate rest is not found in a good night’s sleep, but in the salvation that Jesus Christ has won for us.

Sleeplessness can also remind us of our weakness and our need for God’s strength. In 2 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul writes about a thorn in his flesh that he asked God to remove:

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

When we’re tired and weak, we may be more aware of our need for God’s grace and strength. Sleeplessness can be a reminder that we are not self-sufficient, but that we need God’s help in all things.

The Hope of Rest

While sleeplessness can be a difficult trial, we have hope in the promise of rest that is to come. In Hebrews 4, the author writes:

So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.

As Christians, we have the promise of a Sabbath rest that is to come. This is not just a physical rest, but a spiritual rest that comes from being in the presence of God. In Revelation 21, we read:

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

One day, we will be in the presence of God, and all our tears will be wiped away. There will be no more pain, no more crying, and no more sleeplessness. Until then, we can take comfort in the fact that God is with us, even in our sleeplessness, and that he is using all things for our good and his glory.

Conclusion

Sleeplessness can be a difficult trial, but it can also be an opportunity to draw closer to God and to rely more fully on his grace and strength. As Christians, we have the hope of a Sabbath rest that is to come, where we will be in the presence of God and all our tears will be wiped away. Until then, we can trust in the sovereignty of God, knowing that he is using everything in our lives for our good and his glory.

So, the next time you find yourself lying in bed, unable to sleep, remember that God is with you. He never sleeps, and he never slumbers. He is using even your sleeplessness for your good and his glory. Take comfort in his presence, and trust in his sovereign hand.