Grace Notes: Gracious Keeper
“Yet the Lord is faithful, and He will
strengthen [you] and set you on a firm
foundation and guard (keep) you from the evil [one].”
2 Thessalonians 3:3 AMP
“Now to Him Who is able to keep you without
stumbling or slipping or falling, and to
present [you] unblemished (blameless and faultless)
before the presence of His glory in triumphant joy
and exultation [with unspeakable, ecstatic delight]
— To the one only God, our Savior through
Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory (splendor),
majesty, might and dominion, and power
and authority, before all time and now and forever
(unto all the ages of eternity). Amen (so be it).”
Jude 24-25 AMP
Grace Perspective:
We all need someone to watch over us. In both these verses, the Hebrew word for “keep” is “phylassō,” and it means to guard or watch, have an eye upon. [i] The One who is guarding and keeping is the Lord. He never sleeps or closes His eyes and always knows what we need. (Psalm 121:1)
God is faithful. He can strengthen us and build our faith on the firm foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. (Read Ephesians 3) Yes, we will suffer in this life, enduring trials and temptations, some directed at us by the enemy of our souls and others simply because we live in a world steeped in sin. But God’s Word assures us that one day we will be in the presence of His glory, with triumphant joy, because He will graciously keep us and strengthen us as we prepare to meet Him face to face.
A Touch of Grace:
Where do you turn for protection?
What do you do when you stumble?
Grace Application:
Do you ever feel unprotected or left alone to figure life out? I have felt this way numerous times, especially when I try to live on my own, apart from God.
When I wander away from God’s guard, wanting to do life my way, I learn painful lessons that eventually lead me to repentance. As I process through the reasons I try to escape His watchful eye, I realize the root cause is a lack of faith and trust in the Lord. Too often, I want my life to look like a fairytale, a happily ever after where once a prince fights the evil witch to rescue me, all will be exactly as I want. I get lost in thinking that life needs to look a certain way for me to be happy and lose sight of the One who is always guarding me.
God is gracious to remind me that I am safe, not always comfortable, but safe when I trust Him. The pain I suffer when my faith falters reminds me that He has never left me, never abandoned me to live apart from Him. Though I am “prone to wander and leave the God I love,” [ii] God is faithful to keep watch over me and draws me back toward Him. His Word reminds me that my trust in Him is never misplaced because He will keep all who are in Christ Jesus and one day bring us into His presence with triumphant joy. We will know His glory, power, and majesty for all eternity. To God be the glory forever and ever! May our Gracious Keeper remind you that He is with you always. May His Word protect your mind from the enemy’s lies and strengthen your faith until you meet Him face to face.
In His Grace,
Dawn
Prayer:
Gracious Father, I come to You in the precious name of Jesus Christ, thankful for Your faithful keeping over me. I am prone to wander and too often sin because my faith is weak. Help me remember the firm foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In Him, I am protected. May Your Word guard my heart and mind as I wait to proclaim the glory of my Savior for all eternity. Amen
[i] https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5442/kjv/tr/0-1/
[ii] hymnbook.igracem
**Today, as you read this, I pray each of you will know you are in Christ Jesus. If you have any doubts, please call out to God so that all doubt may be erased. Today is a good day to be assured of salvation in Christ Jesus. If you have any questions, please get in touch with me at graceisdawning@gmail.com**