ADPT-II Syllabus                                   adpt-13

Lesson 13
Our Keeper

SCRIPTURE READINGS:

DAY 1 Psalm 121

DAY 2 Psalm 32

DAY 3 Psalm 18

DAY 4 James 3

DAY 5 John 17

DAY 6 Psalm 1

DAY 7 Psalm 119:33-40



WORD STUDY: Keeper/Preserve
1. Use a Bible Concordance and write the definition(s) for keeper as used in the Hebrew and Greek languages.


2. List the many " keepers" found in the Bible. (i.e.: Keepers of the gate)


3. Use a Bible Concordance and write the definition(s) for preserve.


Did you notice that a couple of the definitions were the exact same for keep and preserve? These are the definitions we will focus on in our study this week.
H8104
shaw-mar'
A primitive root; properly to hedge about (as with thorns), that is, guard; generally to protect, attend to, etc.: - beware, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep (-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch (-man).

H5341
naw-tsar'
A primitive root; to guard, in a good sense (to protect, maintain, obey, etc.) or a bad one (to conceal, etc.): - besieged, hidden thing, keep (-er, -ing), monument, observe, preserve (-r), subtil, watcher (-man).

MY STORY:
As small children we are naive to the dangers that surround us. We may wander off into the woods or step into a swimming pool that would almost certainly spell disaster. We have been given an earthly father who loves us and seeks to protect us and guard us from these dangers.
I have very fond memories of my dad reaching down with his large, firm hand and holding on to my small innocent hand. In this manner he was able to guide me away from danger and to know where I was at all times. I remember one time when I wiggled free of his hand and thought it would be funny to hide under a clothes rack at Sears. The feeling of being all alone and lost was overwhelming and scary! I was so glad when he found me (although I had to accept the discipline for disobedience :) . In the same manner, being without our Heavenly Father can be frightening.

GOD'S STORY:
My very favorite hymns at church are those that speak of holding to God's unchanging hand. I love the imagery that is portrayed of our Heavenly Father reaching down and holding on to our childlike hand and confirming His protection of us.
Let's consider verses which reveal God's loving protection over His children.

4. (1)I will lift up my eyes to the hills, From whence comes my help? (2) My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (3)He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who __________ you will not slumber. (4) Behold, He who __________ Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. (5)The Lord is your __________; The Lord is your shade at your right hand. (6) The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. (7)The Lord shall __________ you from all evil; He shall __________ your soul. (8)The Lord shall __________ your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore. Psalms 121:1-8

5. He will __________ the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness. For by strength no man shall prevail. I Samuel 2:9

6. You are my __________ place; You shall __________ me from trouble; You shall __________ me with songs of __________. Psalm 32:7

7. Do not withhold Your tender __________ from me, O Lord; Let Your _______________ and Your __________ continually __________ me. For innumerable evils have surrounded me; My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up; They are more than the hairs of my head; Therefore my heart fails me. Be pleased, O Lord, to __________ me; O Lord, make haste to __________ me! Psalm 40:11-13

Take note of verse 12. Remember when I ran from my father? When we leave the presence of our Heavenly Father, we become as distraught as David did in this passage. Sometimes our leaving the Lord isn't a neglect of services or blatant public sin. We leave the Lord when He is no longer our first love. We feel empty when we haven't visited with our Lord through His word and through the power of prayer. The wonderful news is that when we are truly His children, we can call upon Him as David did! God is there and ready to protect us continually. He never sleeps on the job! (Psalm 121:3)
In the New Testament, we read of Paul's faith in the preservation or guard of our Lord Jesus Christ.

8. But the Lord __________ with me and __________ me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was __________ out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will __________ me from every evil work and __________ me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen! II Timothy 4:17-18

9. And the __________of God, which surpasses all understanding will __________ your __________ and __________ through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

10. But the Lord is __________, who will __________ you and __________ you from the evil one. II Thessalonians 3:3

Up to this point, we have been studying how our heavenly Father watches or guards over us. God also gives us responsibility to be watchful. The rest of this lesson will concentrate on our loving duties to the Lord.

We must first be willing to keep (guard, hold fast, preserve, watch) His commandments.
11. If you love Me __________ My commandments. John 14:15

12. He who __________ the __________ __________ his soul, But he who is careless of his ways will die. Proverbs 19:16

13. Let us hear the conclusion of the __________ matter: __________God and __________ His commandments, For this is man's __________. Ecclesiastes 12:13

14. He who has My __________ and __________ them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be __________ by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him. John 14:21


We are commanded to keep (watch, guard) our own bodies.

15. We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God __________ himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. I John 5:18

16. __________ and __________ religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to __________ __________ __________ from the world. James 1:27

17. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these __________ things: that you __________ from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from __________ __________. If you __________ yourselves from these, you will do well. Acts 15:28-29

18. For this is the __________ of God, your sanctification: that you should __________ from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to __________ his own vessel in __________ and __________, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; I Thessalonians 4:3-5

19. For God did __________ call us to __________, but in __________.
I Thessalonians 4:7

We are commanded to keep (watch, guard) our mouths.

20. Set a __________, O Lord, over my __________; __________ __________ over the door of my __________. Psalm 141:3

21. He who __________ his __________ ___________ his life, But he who __________ __________ his __________ shall have ___________. Proverbs 13:3

22. Whoever __________ his __________ and __________ __________ his soul from troubles. Proverbs 21:23

Some of God's commandments are for women only!

23. Let your __________ __________ __________ in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is __________ for women to __________ in church. I Corinthians 14:34-35

24. Read Titus 2:3-5. Make a list of responsibilities the older women have to the younger women.

25. Using a concordance look up the meaning of homemakers. (KJV says keepers at home). Write the Greek definition.

26. Short essay. What does it mean to be a keeper at home?

God warns us to be ever watchful!

27. __________, __________ __________in the faith, be __________, be __________. Let all that you do be done with __________. I Corinthians 16:13-14

Many of us have heard the verse quoted, "...the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night." That passage comes from I Thessalonians 5:2. I want to encourage you to read this verse in context with the remainder of this passage! If we are God's children, we walk in the light and the darkness will not overtake us! We will not be taken off guard when the Lord returns.

28. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should __________ you as a thief. You are all __________ __________ __________ and __________ __________ __________ __________. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us __________ __________, as others do, but let us __________ and be __________. I Thessalonians 5:4-6

Let's always keep ourselves in God's Love!

29. __________ yourselves in the __________ of God, looking for the __________ of our Lord Jesus Christ unto __________ __________.
Jude 21

LESSON IN ACTION:
Choose an area of your life in which you could be more watchful. Study God's word on this matter and commit it to prayer.