Keep Yourself
3 Reflections
The human heart does NOT remain tender by accident. Moses tells Israel in Deuteronomy 4:9, “Keep your soul diligently.” That word keepmeans to guard, watch, tend, and pay careful attention. It’s the same word used when Adam was placed in the garden to tend what God had entrusted to him. Moses turns that word inward: there is a garden inside each of us that must be guarded. If we are careless with the blessings of God, we can become overgrown with fascination for inferior things.
To “forget” in Scripture is not about losing information. Moses says, “lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart.” The issue is not that Israel might forget the details of what they saw God do, but that they might stop recalling God's faithfulness. Israel had seen the fire, heard the voice, and watched God be God in their situation. But Moses knew the human heart can allow yesterday’s encounter to fade from memory when it’s no longer tended to.
God keeps us first. The New Testament gives the same charge: “Keep yourselves in the love of God” (Jude 21). This is not religious self-preservation. It’s a participation in grace initiated by God. Jude ends by saying, “To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling.” It’s God who keeps us, and in His keeping, we become empowered to keep ourselves.
"The soul is never satisfied with the objects of this world, but only with God.” - Thomas à Kempis
2 Scriptures
"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits…”
— Psalm 103:2
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
— Proverbs 4:23
1 Action
Ask yourself:
Where have I become careless with the memory of what God has done in my life?
This week, take time to remember again. Share your testimonies with those around you. Let gratitude tend the places where neglect has begun to grow.
Grace and peace,
NEIL
