"Prone
to wander, Lord, I know it; Prone to leave the God I love.
Here’s my
heart, O take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above...."
Can you identify with the words in this
song? I can.
Some days my mind wanders to all kinds of distracting thoughts. I
just can't keep it focused on my King. I long to "be still" with my
Lord and delight in His Word, but the world's ways and wants disturb my peace and shut
out His voice.
In the midst of the distractions, He reminds me to turn
my heart back to Him. And, once again, I choose to remember that God, the mighty Yahweh,
is my Keeper as well as my Lord. In His hands I am safe. Earthly circumstances and
spiritual foes may divert my attention, but He sees my heart and will not let me stray
far from His path. He is the Keeper of my soul
and the guardian of my life. The Bible tells me so:
"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.
The Lord is your keeper....
He shall preserve your soul." Psalm 121:2-6
"Fear not, for I am with you," He whispers to my heart.
"Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you, I
will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’" Isaiah 41:10
I may sleep (physically or spiritually), but my Keeper
remains awake and alert. In His perfect time, He awakens my heart to
love and serve Him more; for He knows the deepest longings of my heart.
He watches over me every moment. No thief can break in
and steal the treasures He gives me. Nothing -- not even my own failures -- can separate
me from my wonderful Lord, for
His grace covers all my weakness. And He has promised, "I will not fail you or
forsake you."
Before He went to cross, Jesus prayed to His Father for His precious
friends -- including you and me. His words show not only
deep concern for my welfare and sanctification, but also His longing to have me near Him always.
Listen to what He said,
"While I was with them in the world, I kept them in
Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son
of perdition.... I have given them Your word;
and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of
the world.... Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
"I do not pray for these alone, but also for those
who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You,
Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may
believe that You sent Me.... " John 17:12-23
Are you, too, part of His family? Then
nothing can separate you from His love! Therefore, you and I can delight in Psalm 73 together: "My
flesh and my heart may fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion
forever." He will surely "guard your going out and your coming in from this
time forth and forever."
Psalm 121:8
Precious
Keeper, what comfort there is in knowing that no matter how weak and unsteady my walk,You draw me close to yourself and keep me hidden in You. There, in that precious
nearness, You teach, train and transform me into Your likeness. I cannot understand
such amazing love; but I thank You, my Beloved.
References:
Psalm
73:26,
Isaiah 53; Matthew 28:18; Mark
16:19; Luke 1:31, 23:34; Ephesians 1:20-23; Philippians 2:5-11.
What it means to be a Christian
