Tag Archives: guard

The Lord Our Keeper

Kept Day and Night – Even When we Feel Unprotected

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 The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade on your right hand. (Psalm 121:5 NASB)

God Our Keeper

Through the Prophet Isaiah, at the end of chapter 26, God calls his people to enter their rooms and hide for a while until indignation runs its course. He speaks of a time when He will come out of from his place.

“In that day, a vineyard of wine, sing of it! I, the Lord, am its keeper, every moment I water it. Lest anyone damage it, I keep it night and day.” (Isaiah 27:2-3 NASB)

Commentators agree the vineyard is His church.

God My Keeper

On our deck is a cross with the word “Keeper” burned into the wood. The Hebrew word from the verse in Isaiah translated “Keeper” means to watch over, to guard, to be blockaded and hidden from danger, to be kept close.

The Lord is near.

In John 7, Jesus invites us to come to Him and satisfy our thirst. He speaks of Rivers of Living Water flowing from within us, satisfying our deepest longings. Every moment we’re guarded and watered.

When we Feel Unprotected

When evil comes our way, it’s easy for us to feel unprotected. But nothing surprises the Lord. He’s entrusted us with every circumstance to be seen as opportunities to press into His presence and depend upon His strength. According to Romans 8:28-29, God is working in every situation for His eternal purposes.

Paul writes that God’s purpose, for those He foreknew and predestined, is to be conformed into the image of His Son Jesus Christ.[1] By His Holy Spirit working[2], Christ is to be formed within us.[3]

There’s a greater story going on and a higher purpose than just smooth circumstances

Much can be accomplished in suffering. Hebrews tells us that even the Son of God learned obedience from the things He suffered.[4] In His sovereignty, God is able to use evil for His higher purposes.

As Joseph told his brothers when they were afraid of his vengeance after Jacob died, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”[5]

Paul tells us to orient our lives from above where we’ve been raised with Christ, not on earthly things.[6] We know how our story ends. Even when troubles and sufferings come our way, our journey home is secure and sure.

Prayer

Lord, You are my Keeper. You’re watering and refreshing me with the Joy of Your nearness.

You keep me close and guard me against anything contrary to Your greater plan for me.

You’ve called me to abide, to remain, to stay where You have placed me – in Christ Jesus.

Help me to trust You when time pressures threaten my peace and circumstances hide Your great love for me.

You and You alone are my Great Reward, my Pearl of Great Price, my Keeper, the Guarder of my soul.

May I dwell in the beauty of your sanctuary all the days of my life. Amen.  

[1] Romans 8:29

[2] Galatians 2:20

[3] Galatians 4:19

[4] Hebrews 5:8

[5] Genesis 50:19b-20

[6] Colossians 3:1-2

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

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 Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

Tending our Hearts

Above all Else

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One of my daughter’s favorite verses is Proverbs 4:23: Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.

We all MUST watch and keep guard over our hearts. Our physical hearts are designed for the flow of life’s blood. Our spiritual hearts are designed for the flow of God’s Living Waters in our soul.

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.[1]’”

Our hearts were designed for Living Water, the presence of God by His Holy Spirit. Only His presence will completely satisfy our thirsty souls, but too often we settle for temporal, false affections. In confusion, we can pursue worldly passion to satisfy the deep longings of our hearts. We can spend our lives searching down “promising” paths which only disappoint, disillusion and dishearten.

With all diligence we must tend to our hearts.

Through Jeremiah, the Lord spoke of the human tendency to reject Him, the source of Living Water and settle for dry and dusty mirages, “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns That can hold no water.”[2]

Without realizing it, we can waste our lives on broken cisterns which promise to fulfill but leave us dying of thirst.

A few years ago, my bride gave me one of those small statues with no face. Maybe you’ve seen them. Perhaps the lack of features allows us to identify with the characters. This one is a boy tenderly cradling his heart. I love it. It speaks to me on so many levels. It reminds me not to allow false affections to produce broken cisterns.

In addition to guarding my heart against idols, I’m also learning to come to terms with what I’m feeling. Over the years, I’ve not always known what to do with extreme feelings of rejection, fear and sadness. Rather than dealing with them, I tend to deny their gravity so I can continue to function. After all, responsibilities don’t slow down when we’re experiencing deep emotional pain.

But denying emotional pain isn’t wise. When I ignore hard feelings, parts of my heart become crusted over and deadened, leaving me less compassionate and less sensitive to God’s leading.

I’m learning to tend my heart in times of deep emotions; calling the God of all Comfort near in every situation. God’s Rivers of Living Water bring His Oil of Gladness to soothe and heal deadened synapses deep with my heart. The presence of God brings unexplainable Cheer, even in the hardest of times. Sometimes the pain lingers, but Joy remains, infusing courage.

Our hearts must be tended. We need to be on constant guard against false affections. We must be aware of what we’re feeling so that God’s Spirit can bring Truth and Comfort.

I like the NIV version of my daughter’s verse: Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Above all else.

Prayer

Lord, above all else. This seems important. I know from experience that the diligence needed to keep, to guard, to tend to my heart, must come from you. To keep my heart from being trapped by false affections, wearied from creating broken cisterns and deadened from denying pain, I need You. I know You’re always with me. Please remind me to tend my heart and be my strength to remain vigilant. Amen.

[1] John 7:37-38 (NASB)

[2] Jeremiah 2:13 (NASB)

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures. Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post once a week. Thank you for reading. 

Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains