Who is the Keeper?

The Lord is your Keeper

Who is the Keeper?

Main Idea: The Lord is your Keeper

5 The Lord is your keeper;

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ps 121:5). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Introduction: Hello Nature Coast. I am Jason Nuwayhid a work in youth ministry over at Seven Rivers. I am also a Seminary student over at RTS. I am honored to be here this morning.

This morning we are going to be digging into Psalm 121. As we dig in we see that this is Psalm is a Psalm Ascents meaning this Psalm is sung during a journey or Pilgrimage. These Pilgrims are on their ascent or journey to Jerusalem. They are traveling on dangerous roads. They travel on steep hills and mountains. They would encounter robbers, thieves, and wild animals. This Psalm was used to bring confidence to the people. As we look to our life and our journey, I want to invite you into confidence through this Psalm. The Psalmist invites you into confidence through the Lord our Keeper.

Read Passage: A Song of Ascents.

121 I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

2 My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot be moved;

he who keeps you will not slumber.

4 Behold, he who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is your keeper;

the Lord is your shade on your right hand.

6 The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;

he will keep your life.

8 The Lord will keep

your going out and your coming in

from this time forth and forevermore.

Let’s Pray.

FCF: We forget that God is in control and run in fear and anxiety. The pilgrims are facing fear and they sing this Psalm. They need to be reminded of their Keeper. And so do we. So who is the keeper?

Subpoint 1 - Our Keeper is the Creator of heavens and earth

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

2 My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot be moved;

The Pilgrims are on their journey and they are most likely traveling from Babylon to Judan. They are experiencing rocky terran. Their are dangerous paths and they look to the hills. Why? Because they are reminded of the one who made them.

Mountain: My wife Alexis loves to hike mountains. Everytime we go somewhere with mountains she’s looking for one to hike. One summer we were able to hike up some of the mountains in Virginia. The hike probably took of most of the day. We were pretty tired when we got up. Once we go to the top it was crazy and for me scary because of how I high we were up. It was also so beautiful to see and look out. I was of course was far away from the edge but Alexis on the other hand was on as close as you could get to the edge. Leaning over just in awe of the beauty of the mountains and the wide view. She sitting there and taking it in. Alexis loves her nature. I remember asking her why she loves nature so much? She tells me, “I feel the closest to God when I am in nature”.

As the Pilgrims look to the hills so they look the Keeper the creator.

“Help comes to saints only from above. We look elsewhere in vain. Let us lift our eyes with hope, expectancy, desire, and confidence. Satan will try to keep our eyes on sorrow, to disquiet and discourage us, but let us firmly resolve to look up. For there is good cheer for the eyes, and those who lift up their eyes to the eternal hills will soon have their hearts lifted. The purposes of God, the divine attributes, the immutable promises, the covenant, in which all thing? are ordered and sure, and providence, predestination, and the proved faithfulness of the Lord—these are the hills to which we must lift our eyes, for from these our help must come. It is our resolve that we will not be bandaged and blindfolded but will lift up our eyes.”

Spurgeon

“We are bound to look beyond heaven and earth to Him who made them both. Trusting the creatures is vain. Trusting the Creator is wise.”

Subpoint 2 - The Keeper is the ever-watchful

3 He will not let your foot be moved;

he who keeps you will not slumber.

4 Behold, he who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

God’s watchful care

Illustration: Parent in the car

“His watchful Eyes will never close”

Subpoint 3: The Keeper is Your Lord

5 The Lord is your keeper;

the Lord is your shade on your right hand.

6 The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;

he will keep your life.

8 The Lord will keep

your going out and your coming in

from this time forth and forevermore.

Hebrews 13:5-8

5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper;

I will not fear;

what can man do to me?”

7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Daily life

The creator is guide and keeper in your journey

The Keeper favors you. He is your Keeper! The Lord is your Keeper! The Creator is your Keeper! Ever watchful on you.

28.

Q.

What does it benefit us to know that God has created all things and still upholds them by his providence?

A.

We can be patient in adversity, 1 thankful in prosperity, 2 and with a view to the future we can have a firm confidence in our faithful God and Father that no creature shall separate us from his love; 3 for all creatures are so completely in his hand that without his will they cannot so much as move

The Keeper keeps your life. The Keeper gives you life by sending his son Jesus.