READ Psalm 44:17–26. 17 All this came upon us, though we had not forgotten you; we had not been false to your covenant. 18 Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path. 19 But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals; you covered us over with deep darkness. 20 If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, 21 would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart? 22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. 23 Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever. 24 Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression? 25 We are brought down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground. 26 Rise up and help us; rescue us because of your unfailing love.
WHY DOES GOD SLEEP? Everything is going wrong (verses 9–16) though Israel has not been unfaithful to its covenant (verses 17–21). God seems to be asleep (verse 23). “Awake, Lord!” is the daring but honest cry. Ultimately, however, we always and only suffer under God’s loving care (verse 26). God may seem to be asleep in the storms of our lives the way Jesus was (Mark 4:38, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”). However, God is not asleep, but he won’t be rushed. He knows what he’s doing. He has a plan and it’s a plan of love.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, in the boat during the storm your disciples accused you of not caring—but you were never out of control and you saved them. I confess that to me also you seem to not care, to be doing nothing. That is wrong. The cross proves incontrovertibly, eternally, that you do care. I praise you and rest in you for that. Amen.