‘I Kept Them’

‘I Kept Them’

While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name:  those that thou gave me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

John 17:12

Christ was very conscious of His responsibilities toward His disciples while they were under His care.  He ministered to them physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially.  In every area of life, He exercised due diligence in order that they might be well, and do well.  Over the three years that they were with Him, He preserved them in every way.  As Christ prays for them before His Father, He is able to say, ‘While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name.’  Because Christ is no longer in the world, He has devolved the keeping of His people to the Holy Spirit.  Yet the end result is the same.  None of the disciples could have said that they had kept themselves, any more than Noah could have said that he kept himself, or Daniel could have said that he kept himself.  Psalm 121 says rightly, ‘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.’  In every age, under all circumstances and conditions, Christ keeps His people.  This affords us great security.  This enables us to go forward without fear paralyzing us.  The knowledge of Christ’s preservation of us supersedes the power of our anxiety which would debilitate us.  What was true for the disciples is true for us.  Christ’s testimony was, and still is, ‘I kept them.’

Our most Wonderful and Wise God,
we praise You that You are ever the Great Preserver of Your people.
We rejoice that You will deliver us from every evil work,
and preserve us unto Your Heavenly Kingdom.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning