One of the great benefits of faith and trust in God is the calm assurance that He is the Lord our Keeper. Most believers have a testimony of His keeping power. We need to remember all of the times the Lord rescued us and set our feet on solid rock and established our way. When Jesus was praying for His disciples He asked the Father in heaven to keep everyone He has given Him. Listen to the Lord’s prayer.
John 17:11 NKJV Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.
We are kept through His name. Think about the power that is in the name of God. Jesus prayed that those the Father has given Him would be kept by His name.
John 17:12 NKJV 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, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
This is a powerful confession. Jesus said none is lost, we are kept safe.
John 17:13-14 NKJV But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 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.
We are kept from the world.
John 17:15-16 NKJV I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
We are kept from the evil one. Satan may attack and try to kill, steal and destroy, but we are kept from the evil one.
John 17:17-19 NKJV Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
We are kept sanctified. The Lord has set us apart from the world and Has given us His word of life.
John 17:20-22 NKJV 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. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:
Jesus was praying for the unity of all believers. It is His deep desire for all of us to be knit together in love. He qualifies this unity by saying, “that they also may be one in Us.” He is talking about our connection with the Father and the Son. The Lord has kept us for His glory. God’s keeping power is demonstrated throughout the Bible.
We need to make this a constant confession: “The Lord is my Keeper.”
2 Kings 6 gives an amazing example of what it means to be kept by the power of God. Ben-Hadad, the King of Syria, declared war on Israel and marched against them with a great army! Ben-Hadad often met with his war counsel to determine his next plan of attack. Everyday Elisha received a word from God about the Syrians’ plan of attack. Israel continued to escape defeat by the word which the man of God spoke. Ben-Hadad became furious because he knew there had to be a traitor in his camp. Someone had to be telling his plans to the King of Israel.
The Lord is my Keeper!
2 Kings 6:12 NKJV And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”
Ben-Hadad immediately sent horses, chariots, and a great army to capture Elisha.
By night, they surrounded the city intending to take the old prophet by surprise. When Elisha’s servant arose early in the morning, he saw the great army that was surrounding the city. Terrified, he said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do? We are surrounded.” Have you ever felt that you were surrounded by the enemy and that there was nothing you could do?
2 Kings 6:16-17 NKJV So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Elisha stood with calm assurance for the Lord of Hosts was in the midst of his CRISIS.
David had this same assurance in God’s keeping power.
Psalm 3:6 NLT I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side.
Psalm 27:3 NLT Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.
Psalm 55:18 NLT He ransoms me and keeps me safe from the battle waged against me, though many still oppose me.
“Lord, open our eyes that we may see and behold the mountains filled with the Lord of Hosts’ horses and chariots of fire…”
We are kept by the Lord of hosts.
The Old Testament saints knew God as the Lord of hosts. We need to know that He is the Lord of hosts. From Samuel through Malachi, the Lord of hosts is mentioned 273 times.
- 2 Samuel 5:10 says, “David grew greater and greater, for The Lord of Hosts was with Him.”
- Psalms 46:7 —The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge”
- Psalm 89:8 — O Lord God of hosts, Who is mighty like You, O Lord? Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
- Psalms 84:8 — Lord of hosts, Hear my prayer
- Psalms 24:10 — The Lord of hosts, He is the King of Glory
The original word for “hosts” — is צֹבֶה – (sa-ba); It means, “an organized army, a host of angels ready and poised for battle.” God has an organized host of thousands of His angels, horses, and chariots of fire that are ready and awaiting His command. Elisha knew the Lord of hosts was fighting with him. The Lord of hosts was coming to his assistance. The angels of the Lord encamp around and about those who fear Him.
On another occasion, the Assyrian army came against King Hezekiah and Judah. The king was unmoved when his enemies surrounded him.
2 Chronicles 32:7-8 NKJV “Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.”
God’s people knew they were kept by the Lord of hosts.
Psalm 68:17 AMP The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands upon thousands. The Lord is among them as He was in Sinai, [so also] in the Holy Place.
The Lord’s hosts are prepared and ready to help us.
Psalms 121:5 says, “The Lord is your Keeper.”
1 Peter 1:5 said, “We are kept by the power of God through faith, unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
Listen to what Jesus said.
John 17:12 NKJV 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.
They were kept by His mighty power that was working on the outside of them. They could not have made it a single day without His keeping power.
In John 17:15, Jesus prayed that the Father would keep us from the evil one.
1 Peter 1:5 says, we are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
In English, KEPT means: To retain possession of, to take into one’s charge, to provide all of the necessities, to raise and feed, to protect and preserve, to have control.
In the Greek “kept” has more meaning:
1 Peter 1:5 kept is φρουρέω: (froo-reh-o); It means: to establish a military outpost; to guard, hem in, protect with a garrison; to establish a fortress with a fully equipped military; to discern the enemy far in advance and protect from danger.
Not only is the Lord a strong tower of defense, He has established a military outpost around us. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him. (Psalms 34:7)
Think for a moment what that must look like.
The Lord has established a powerful military outpost with His armies and chariots of fire around you. The Lord’s armies are ready for combat everywhere we go.
In John 17:15, Jesus prayed to the Father, “KEEP them from the evil one.” The Greek word is τηρέω – tay·reh·o. It means to carefully watch, preserve, guard, or hold fast.
In Matthew 6:13, Jesus taught us to pray, “Deliver us from the evil one.” This deliverance is from the effect and influence of anything bad, evil, grievous, harmful, lewd, malicious, or wicked. It is deliverance from Satan and all that is corrupt or diseased.
Put it all together…
He is to me — The Lord my Keeper.
He has established His military outpost around us. He has a fully equipped spiritual host of innumerable horses, chariots, and angels of the Lord to protect us. They are always ready, completely informed, and fully equipped.
Consider the amount of help you have.
1 John 4:4 NKJV You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Psalm 18:2 NKJV The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
The Lord of hosts is keeping you.
Psalm 61:3 NKJV For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy.
Psalm 18:17 NKJV He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, For they were too strong for me.
Jude 24 NKJV Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
In David’s worst hour, he had a vision of God’s grace and keeping power. David knew that only the Lord of hosts could deliver and keep him from the power of evil.
Psalm 121:1-5 NKJV I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? 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; The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
We are PRESERVED in every situation.
David’s faith in God’s forgiving and keeping power brought him to a glorious conclusion.
Psalm 121:7-8 NKJV The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.
You need to be reminded that God is standing by. He keeps on loving us and drawing us back into safety. In our weakest moments, He still loves us. There is hope for the Lord of hosts is with us. He alone is your Keeper. We should do what Jesus did. We need to commit the keeping of your body and soul to the Lord of hosts.
