Is God fast asleep?

To the carnal man, and to our depraved societies, the God of the Bible is nothing but an insensitive, non-responsive and inept character who likes to see people suffer, does not care about the environment or the social issues affecting minorities or the marginalized.

He must be, they reasoned, because how could a loving God ignore the suffering of people from all kindreds and tongues, the tiny helpless children who are becoming casualties of war, the starving, the destitute, the orphans, those stricken with diseases, the homeless, the drug addicts, and the list goes on.

How can such a powerful God stand by and allow the abominable evils of school shootings, like what happened in Florida recently, terrorism, corruption in public and private sectors, to continue?

These are pertinent and reasonable questions. We may not be able to find answers for all of them, but at least, they can, and should be asked, if there is someone many people believe to be the Creator of the Universe. Thousands, and perhaps millions of people, have lost faith in God because they were not able to get the answers.

Maybe they have not been looking in the right places for the answers, and a result, have concluded that either God does not exist or He’s fast asleep and can do nothing about our burgeoning problems on planet Earth.

How do you explain to someone the presence or existence of God when He knows of a jumbo jet plummeting out of the sky into the deep waters of the Atlantic with babies, children and seniors onboard? How do you tell someone who is searching to find God that He’s alive and well and in charge of the universe, when every single day, thousands of people are murdered innocently, died in car accidents or drug overdose when God is supposed to be our protector and our guide? What can you really say to a parent who has lost a child, especially at a young age?

Again, very worthwhile questions.  Where is God in all of this? Why doesn’t he do something? How can he stand by silently without a word or sign that He’s in charge.

How do we answer those questions? First, we must acknowledge we did not create ourselves. We have a Creator and He must know what He’s doing, after all He’s the Creator. Foremostly, let us remember what God says about himself. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts,” (Isa 55:8). Do we get the drift here?

God asked Job this question (38.4), “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.  Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?  Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;  When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”

The great King David, too had some questions for God. Listen to him. Psalm 13, “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? ²How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? ³Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; ⁴ my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. ⁵But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. ⁶I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.”

Do you notice David’s conclusion? He would trust in God’s “unfailing love.” David understood who God is; for one, He does not think like us. God’s prophets such as Jonah, Habbakuk, Job, had an understanding why God had a hands off attitude at times.

We can come up with all the reasonable questions we like about God, the reality is God does not think like us. God is sovereign. He’s in charge and He knows exactly what He’s doing. Not because God is not living up our expectations or human reasoning, it means He does not exist or is asleep. The truth is God is going to take care of all our suffering, all the evil and wickedness on the land, but YAHWEH will do it in His time, not in our time. God does not go by time; we human beings do and that’s why it is difficult to understand why God does not act according to our expectations, yet sometimes He does. God has a plan and you have to believe He’s right on time with it.

Proverbs 24: 19 tells us: Do not worry when evildoers go unpunished    or be jealous when the wicked seem to prosper.

As we see evil flourishes around us, as we see suffering abounds, let us remember who’s in charge. It is not a man who is in charge of the universe. It is the One who created it with his awesome power and might that is unmatchable to any human reasoning. WE, as Christian must remember  ““The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God’ (1 Corinthians 1:18).

When you wake up tomorrow morning to see a brand new day, still breathing, have all the necessities of life to stay alive, have hope for the future He promises, and realise that this life cannot be forever like it is, you better believe God is NOT fast asleep! For more on this subject, download FREE our booklet The Awesome Power of God.