KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Friday, April 20, 2018
Chapters: Psalms 121, 123-125, 128-130
Message: The LORD Is Thy Keeper
Hello My Friend,
Degree; A step; a distinct portion of space of indefinite extent. Did you know that even before you get saved God gave you steps to follow that brought you to Him? Yes, we choose Him of our own free will, but that does not mean He does not give us a nudge in the right direction. Then once we do receive Christ as our Saviour we progress by degrees, the things we go through are the steps that define and refine us into becoming like Christ. “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” – John 13:15-17.
I overslept this morning, I did not even hear the alarm go off, when I woke up I thought it must be close for the alarm to go off, and then I saw the time, with a message that said, “Alarm missed.” Now, my mind is in a fog and I am just waiting for something to come to me as I read the chapters. It really is a comfort to know that there are no missed alarms with God, He is on time with everything. “The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” – Psalm 121:5-8.
“The LORD is thy keeper:” Keeper; To hold; to retain in one’s power or possession; not to lose or part with. The second we receive the Lord, Jesus Christ as our Saviour, Christ, with all His power, takes a hold of us and never lets us go. Praise God! We are retained under His power, and no one, not even the devil can tear us from His grip. Praise God! There are fifteen Psalms addressed as Songs of degrees, our relationship with God is not one that should can be rushed, and in no way can we know Him without much communication with Him through prayers, songs, and the reading His Word. The more we talk to Christ the more we become like Him, and discover that it is only by His mercy that we can even get through this life.
“A Song of degrees. Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us. Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.” – Psalm 123.
“until that he have mercy upon us.” While our works are what show Christ in us, salvation has never been about works, not even before Christ came to earth as man, and gave His life for us. The sons of Jacob were God’s chosen, He used them to an example of what it is like to be under the wings of the only living God, that includes His judgment upon them, and the endless amount of mercy He had upon them. Israel is not just a country, or the sons of Jacob, it is a nation of people, and God is the one who is the keeper of Israel, that includes every soul that receives Christ as their Saviour.
“A Song of degrees. They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity. Do good, O LORD, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts. As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.” – Psalm 125.
“They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion,” Zion; The place where all Christians will gather to be with the Lord. We are mounted with Christ, unmovable, and grounded in Him. There is one thing we must understand as Christians, God knows what we need, if we trust Him, and follow His Word than He will show us what we need to do to get them. Lacking funds? Pray, trust God, and He will send you the funds you need when you need them. Need a job? Pray, trust God, and He will direct you to the place of employment. Want a spouse? Pray, trust God, and He will send you the love of your life, when both you and your future spouse are ready to be wed. Everything works in God’s time, He will get us ready to receive the things we are in need of.
“A Song of degrees. Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD. The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.” – Psalm 128.
God gives us a choice in the way we live, many, many of His children have backslidden, gotten caught up in their sin, they are not denying God, they have turned their backs on Him. This is why we are not saved by our works, but Christ’s finished work. This Psalm reminds us why we are saved by grace. “A Song of degrees. Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.” – Psalm 130. Praise God!
“If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities,” None of us are without sin, which is why we cannot save ourselves. This is why we grow with Christ in steps, if we hang off the cliff of the mountain, we may dangle there for a while, but He is our keeper and keeps us from falling. Our only hope in this life we are given comes through Jesus Christ who gives our souls eternal life through His death, burial, and resurrection. If God named every one of our iniquities we would be shocked and quite ashamed of ourselves because we would not be able to stand before Him and live. However, thank God that He looks at every saved soul as perfect, covered in the blood of His Son, He does not see our iniquities, all He sees is the blood, and that is what redeems us. “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” – Titus 2:11-14.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” – Psalm 124:8.
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for sending Your Son to make it easier to have a relationship with You. You are my keeper, the one who watches over me and knows exactly what time I need to be doing things. While I do not always understand the things I go through, I know that with patience and faith You will lead me wherever it is that You want me to be. Lord, give me Your power, mercy, and grace, guide me, let me learn to completely trust in You, the only living God, and let me not forget that You are always with me, holding on to me as You step by step turn me into a reflection of Your Son. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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