I was reminded of God as Divine Keeper in my morning devotional the other day, and it led me on a deep dive in my Thomson Chain Reference Bible published by B. B. Kirkbride Bible Co., Inc. I love this bible. It starts with First Mention of a word or topic, then takes you to every mention of that word or theme through all of the Old Testament and New Testament. It is a wonderful way to get God’s full thought on a topic. I can lose hours in a day when I have the time to study in this way. But I digress. Today, I thought I would let the word speak for itself on the topic of God as our Divine Keeper.
“Keeper” (shamar in Hebrew)
Our Divine Keeper is a vigilant protector who guards, watches over, and sustains his people, particularly in times of danger, journey, or need.
Old Testament Mentions (Protector and Keeper)
Psalm 121:3-8 NIV (The “Keeper” Psalm)
“He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Numbers 6:24-26 NIV
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
Genesis 28:15 NIV
“I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
Psalm 91:11 NIV
“For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways…”
Psalm 34:7 NIV
“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.”
New Testament Mentions (Guardian and Shepherd)
2 Thessalonians 3:3 NIV
“ But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.”
John 10:28-29 NIV
“ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”
Jude 1:24 NIV
“To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—”
1 Peter 1:3-5 MSG
“What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole.”
John 17:11 NIV
“… who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”
There is No GOD like Our God!
Our Divine Keeper, who does not sleep, guards us from evil and preserves our life and does so forever.
Why Should We Worry?
Luke 12:22-31 NIV
22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life[b]? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.”
Are there any scriptures that come to mind when you think of our divine keeper?
Why should we worry with our Divine Keeper in control?
Amen and Amen. Revelation 21:6 ESV
Diana, thanks so much for this thoughtful post.