Does God sleep?

Why do we sleep? Humans need sleep to restore and refresh mind and body. Out of each 24 hour period we should sleep at least 7 or 8 hours.

When Jesus was on earth, He slept. He had two distinct natures; He was fully God and fully man. His human nature needed sleep, and like all of us, Jesus slept.

He knows what it's like to be tired, to be out of sorts because of lack of rest. He can empathize with anyone who becomes worn out in service of others. He experienced similar feelings of exhaustion many times.

Once, when crossing the Sea of Galilee, a great storm arose. Jesus was so tired He had fallen asleep in the back of the boat with His head on a pillow. The frightened Apostles awakened Him because they feared the craft was sinking. Jesus got up, calmed the storm and the little fishing boat reached the opposite shore safely. (Mark 4:35-40).

Once Jesus died, and rose again, He no longer needed to sleep, eat, do any of the things we humans do for the care and maintenance of our bodies. He then had a "glorified" body. The Apostles witnessed that fact that He could walk through walls and travel at the speed of thought. Jesus' heavenly body is perfect and will stay that way for eternity.

At the end of time, faithful Christians, who will also possess glorified bodies, will join Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit in the Heavenly kingdom.

For now, however, all earth-dwellers need to sleep: birds, animals, fish, insects and humans. For this reason, God created night. Like a good parent, He turns out the bright light so His children can fall asleep more easily. Soft moonlight guides night workers, travelers and nocturnal creatures as they go about their business.

Meanwhile, God Himself watches over all, from the vantage point of eternity. The Trinity, God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit exist outside of time where past, present and future are all one. God has no need to eat, sleep, or do anything to sustain the perfection He possesses. God always was. always will be, and always remains the same.

No, God does not sleep. If He forgot about anyone for one second, that person would cease to exist. He keeps watch over the earth and its inhabitants continuously. Liking a loving parent, He guards and guides each soul, nudging it gently when necessary, encouraging it to stay on the right path as it makes its way to its heavenly home.

There are currently about 7 billion people on earth. How can God possibly watch us all at once? God's attributes are so superior to our own, that we will never fully understand Him in this life. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-perfect, and, unlike us, God has no need of sleep.