The God Who Keeps

The word “keep” has great significance in Scripture. It denotes continual action as well as responsibility for us and for God. Our responsibility is to keep God’s commandments, to observe, obey and hold fast to His promises. God promises to keep watch over us, keep us from harm, and to keep us in perfect peace as we trust in Him.

A couple of weeks ago, the pre-K choirs came and sang for us during the evening meal. They sang “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” They sang some new and interesting verses such as “He’s got the dirt and the worms in His hands.” When I was growing up, we used to sing, “He’s got the wind and the rain in His hands”, or “He’s got the little bitty baby in His hands.” This simple, yet profound song reminds us that our God keeps all things in His hands with His sovereign might and power. One of the definitions of the word “keep” in Vine’s Expository Dictionary is “God’s sustaining power over His people.”

God’s sustaining power is demonstrated to us with great gentleness, however. That sustaining power guards us, protects us and watches over us, much like a shepherd does for his sheep. Many times our Gentle Shepherd must restrain us or constrain us to keep us from hurting ourselves. He also promises to keep our souls at rest, but only as we maintain our responsibility to trust in Him and keep his commandments.

Here are some verses that give us a picture of what God does for us on a continual basis: Psalm 121:4-8 “Indeed, He who watches over (or keeps) Israel (or you) slumbers not nor sleeps. The Lord watches over (or keeps) you –the Lord is your shade at your right hand…the Lord will keep you from all harm; He will watch over (or keep) your life; the Lord will watch over (keep) your coming and going both now and forevermore.”

Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep those in perfect peace whose mind is steadfast, because He trusts in You.”

Psalm 19:13 “Keep (restrain) your servant from willful sins so that do not rule over me.”

Let us not forget God’s ability to keep us; to save us, protect us, watch over us and restrain us. He never slumbers nor sleeps so that His continual sustaining power will keep all things together in this vast universe. Let us remember that He keeps us in perfect peace as we trust in Him and His sustaining power.

Frances Havergal, the writer of the hymn “Like a River Glorious” understood God as her keeper. The year of her death, she wrote these beautiful words:

Like a river glorious is God’s perfect peace
Over all victorious in its bright increase

Perfect, yet it floweth fuller every day
Perfect, yet it groweth, deeper all the way

Stayed upon Jehovah hearts are fully blessed
Finding as He promised perfect peace and rest.