Title: God Works The Night Shift
Date: 2007-08-19
Reference: Psalm 121 and I Peter 5:7
""I borrowed the title of today’s sermon from a book I read with the same title. God Works the Night Shift. A great thought. Psalm 121 assures us God is always with us. No matter when you need Him. In the loneliest, darkest, hours of the night God is there because God doesn’t slumber and God doesn’t sleep.
Some people really enjoy working the night shift. When I was in Seminary I worked for a janitorial service. Once a month we would work all night, completely stripping, and waxing the floors of various stores. They would lock us in around 10:00 p.m. and turn us out at 6:00 a.m. Those all nighters made going to the first class of the day a bit hard to enjoy. It’s hard enough to concentrate of the Philosophy of Religion anytime, but especially when you’ve been up all night mopping floors.
Ideally the night shift is a time of rest, refreshment, and sleep. It’s cooler, quieter, a peaceful time. Unless we are worried about something, or if we are in pain. Then we toss and turn on our beds losing the sleep we need. I’ve had a few sleepless nights lately. There are times when worries, regrets, and fears about the day past and the day to come keep us awake at night.
Psalm 121 assures us God not only directs our steps during the day but also watches over us by night. God will not let your foot be moved. He who watches over you neither slumbers nor sleeps.
Bishop Quayle was a leader in our Methodist Church years ago. One night he worked into the wee hours of the morning. He was trying to solve various problems.
He was worried, unable to sleep. His Bible happened to be open to Psalm 121. In a moment of intense fear, pressure, and anxiety his eyes fell on these words.”God never sleeps and watches over us in a 24 hour vigil.” Bishop Quayle was burning the midnight oil, worrying about many things. All the while God was watching over him. The Bishop realized he was wearing himself out trying to work for God rather than allowing God to work through him. He realized that such a life was exhausting and a losing battle. Quayle said he actually heard God speak to his spirit saying: “No need for both of us to stay up all night. Since I’ll be awake anyway you go to sleep and rest in my care.”
Whenever we are tempted to toss and turn, to pace the floor, worrying about our kids, financial problems, health issues, relationships, issues at work, we remember our help is God who made heaven and earth. The God who never slumbers or sleeps. The God who desires the best for us. The God who is always available to us. If the Psalmist was writing today he might say: “God never sleeps, never takes a day off, never takes a vacation, is never out of town.
Alexander the Great was once asked how he could sleep so soundly while he was constantly surrounded with danger. He replied he lost no sleep at all. Parmenio, his faithful guard, kept watch over him so he could rest. If a General can sleep because a mere man is watching over him by night.how much more should we sleep knowing our eternal God is keeping watch?
God neither slumbers nor sleeps. I love the Old Testament story of the Prophet Elijah and his confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. The people of Israel were wavering wondering who the real God was, Jehovah or Baal.
The prophets of Baal had been very convincing and people were tempted to follow this false God. Elijah challenged the Prophets of Baal to a contest to determine who the real God was. Elijah challenged them saying: “Put a sacrifice on the altar and I’ll put a sacrifice on my altar. We’ll each call on our respective Gods to send fire from heaven and consume the sacrifice. May the best God win.
From morning to evening the prophets called upon Baal to send fire. As time passed they became increasingly panicked, raising their voices jumping up and down, rolling on the ground, cutting themselves. Elijah mocked them and said.”Call out louder to your God. Maybe he’s busy meditating, or busy, or on a journey, or perhaps he’s sleeping and needs to be awakened.”
Elijah knew the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob never slumbers and never sleeps. Elijah prayed to the God of Psalm 121 and God sent fire to consume his sacrifice. Elijah trusted God because God had always been faithful in the past. Hope needs memories. When we are in trouble we must remember how God helped us in days past. It also helps to remember that nothing happening to us is a surprise to God.
Years before Elijah’s confrontation with the false Prophets King David of Israel was tossing and turning in his bed chamber. He was unable to sleep, worried about many things. In another Psalm (63) David said.”When I remember you on my bed, I meditate on you in the night watches. Because you have been my help. I remember your faithfulness. You are my God who never slumbers and never sleeps.”
When we remember how God led us in the past we are able to trust God to lead us through all the valleys of life. I life up my eyes to the hills.
My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth. The ever present God who never slumbers or sleeps.
Our God is listening, never out of reach. God is as close to us as the thoughts in our brains and the feelings in our hearts. God lives, God loves, God listens. God is there when we reach out. God answers prayers. We will accomplish more with God in one hour than in one lifetime without God. Many have found God in the pain of the midnight hour. Red Blake, former NFL, Hockey player, seemed to have it all. Youth, money, beautiful home, luxury, wife, three sons. When sport injuries caused him to experience constant pain Blake turned to painkillers, then to alcohol, and eventually to drugs. He became increasingly irresponsible as a father, husband, and athlete. His wife left him, his coach fired him. He found himself alone in a dark, seedy, hotel room. He was tired, angry, depressed, he had hit the bottom. At that point he reached out for God. He fell to his knees and recommitted his life including the awful weight of his failures and sins to the great physician who is always on call. He came to God with no strings attached. Within moments the healing had begun. He still faced months of counseling and rehab but an inner work had started that culminated in a complete restoration of his family and his life.
Over the years there have been so many testimonies like this one of men and women who have found God in the darkness of night. I would rather walk with God in the darkness than go alone in the light. As yet another Psalm (23) reminds us.”Even if we find ourselves walking through a valley as dark as death, we will not fear, because God is with us, guiding, guarding all the way.
God is operating in eternity. God sees the end from the beginning. God cannot be taken by surprise. Our past, present, and future are always before God. With God’s help we deal with every painful moment. We may see things in life as being bad. But they could always be worse. God never changes. In moments of despair the Psalmist reminded himself how God had always been faithful and had always brought him through.
Psalm 121 reminds us God protects us by day and all night. God protects us from the heat of the sun and at night. Have you ever heard of being moonstruck? There have always been superstitions concerning the moon. The words lunatic and lunacy come from the word lunar or moon. Many people of all ages fear the darkness and loneliness. God is our helper through it all.
A wise man once said: “Worry is the interest we pay on tomorrow’s troubles.” Isaiah 26:3 says “fix our gaze on God.” We have the choice of focusing on our problems or focusing on God who holds the solution.
Many things in life don’t make sense. We know there are many things in life beyond our control. I think we waste too much time and energy trying to figure things out. God says to trust. When people stop trying to figure out why God allows things to happen and just trust in God peace comes.
God is sovereignly in control of the universe including the part of the universe you and I inhabit. And god never slumbers or sleeps. The speaker in a stress management seminar made the point that everyone needs an unconditional listener to unload on. A sympathetic spouse, parent, sibling, friend, even a pet. Talk to your pet he said.
Our New Testament Reading for today urges us to talk to God. “Cast all your anxiety, all your cares on God for God cares for you.” We will eventually learn we have nothing to count on but our loving God. During the midnight hour when we are in pain, we learn to pray our most authentic heartfelt prayers to God. When we are in pain we don’t have the energy for superficial prayers. God is our help. God never slumbers or sleeps. He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble. ""
