The almighty, all-wise God watches over His universal church, which in Psalm 121 : 4 is called Israel — a name that means Prince of God. And He protects us so fully that each individual believer can say with the psalmist in Psalm 121: 3, 4 , "He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.'' That means that He cares for each member or the body of Christ, the church He loved and for which He gave His life. Each child of God then may say, "He will not suffer my foot to be moved.''
To appreciate this, consider that we are traveling on a mountain path that is narrow, and that either on the right or left side of that path, and sometimes on both sides, the ground drops off steeply, so that one who steps off will fall to certain death. That is why it is so very important that we have one to watch over us, who does not sleep but looks down upon us every step of our way.
When we do with one foot step off that narrow path by sin of one kind or another, one must be there to lift that foot up and back upon the path, or catch us as we fall lest we plunge into the lake of fire. If our guardian sleeps for just a moment, and one of us has stepped off that pathway, that one enters everlasting perdition.
But no, here is the truth for our comfort:
He will not suffer that thy foot be moved,
Safe shalt thou be;
No careless slumber shall His eyelids close
Who keepeth thee;
Behold He sleepeth not, He slumbers ne'er,
Who keepeth Israel in His holy care.
This versification expresses the beautiful truth that He cares for us in wondrous love. "No careless slumber shall His eyelids close.'' Of that you can be sure. He is the almighty God Who is never tired or sleepy. We are safe day and night. We have a Savior Who indeed saves us in a wonderful way and in unchangeable love. We are safe every step of our way to His house of many mansions, where places are prepared for us.
Read: Psalm 91
Psalter versification: 347:2
Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism
Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Judges 17:1-13
Judges 18:1-31
John 3:1-21
Psalm 104:1-23
Proverbs 14:20-21
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Quote for Reflection:
At the Lord’s Table: "Do we taste, experience, appropriate the love of God in Christ? Do we know that we have fellowship with God? When we eat and drink at the table of the Lord, do we taste that God comes to us in Christ? God comes to us through Christ and in the Spirit and makes His abode with us, and causes us to experience the blessedness of His fellowship and presence."- -- Herman Hoeksema
Additional Info
- Date: 3-May
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