I have an app on my mobile phone named Sleep Tracker which I set when I lie down at night to sleep. It listens to my breathing and recognizes when I snore, or cough. Then when I wake in the morning I stop the tracker and it determines how much time I slept, whether it was a deep sleep or light sleep, and how much time I was awake during the night. Then the app determines an average sleep time by day, week, or month.
Sleep is vital to our well-being, but is one part of our health where we usually cut ourselves short. Most of us don’t get enough sleep. According to a study by the CDC, “More than a third of American adults are not getting enough sleep on a regular basis.” I am one of those 33% not getting enough sleep. There’s always something to do instead of going to bed, such as watch TV, mess around on Facebook, read email, or even go to bed and read in bed. Of course, since I am retired now, I can sleep as long as I want.
After Jesus fed the multitudes by multiplying the loaves of bread and fish, he sent the disciples on a boat to the other side of the lake, then went up on the mountain to pray. In the fourth watch of the night, between 3 and 6 a.m., Jesus went walking on the water to find the boat where his disciples were, and Peter walked very briefly on the water too.
“I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” Psalms 121:1-4 New King James Version.
It is reassuring to know that our God doesn’t sleep even when we must.