KEEP – Complete in Him

by Tammy Phillips
April 11, 2021

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; ⁷ A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; (Ecclesiastes 3:6-7 KJV)

The Lord tells us in Ecclesiastes that there is a time for everything. He recently took the time, again, to tell me to guard my mouth. I really need to go to a seamstress and let her install a zipper to my lips. I then would have consciously zip and unzip before I spoke.

I kind of followed the Holy Spirit down a rabbit trail. I read Ecclesiastes 3:6-7. It was right in front of my eyes. “There is a time to keep silent and a time to speak!” I responded, “Ok, Lord. I really do hear you. I am going to watch my mouth, what goes in and comes out of it.” I also saw that there is “a time to keep.” If we are to keep our mouth, what else are we to keep. What does keep mean? Several different words for “keep” exist in the Hebrew and Greek, but they all mean pretty much the same thing: to guard, watch, protect, attend to, observe, preserve, regard. Here are a few things I found in the word that we are to keep:

Keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him. (Deuteronomy 8:6)
Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. (Psalm 34:13)
Keep his way and wait on the Lord. (Psalm 37:34)
Keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. (Psalm 39:1)
Keep his covenant and remember his commandments to do them. (Psalm 103:18)
Keep judgment, do righteousness at all times and be blessed (Psalm 106:3)
Keep His testimonies and seek Him with the whole heart. (Psalm 119:2)
Keep His precepts diligently. (Psalm 119:4)
Keep His word. (Psalm 119:17)
Keep His law continually for ever and ever. (Psalm 119:44)
Keep the door of my lips. Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth. (Psalm 141:3)
Keep the paths of the righteous. Walk in the way of good men (Proverbs 2:20)
Keep sound wisdom and discretion. (Proverbs 2:21)
Keep instruction; Take fast hold of let her. Do not let go for she [is] thy life. (Proverbs 4:13)
Keep His words in the middle of your heart Let them not depart from your eyes. (Proverbs 4:21)
Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23 KJV)
Keep my words and lay up my commandments with you. (Proverbs 7:1 KJV)
Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. (Proverbs 7:2)
Keep my ways and be blessed. (Proverbs 8:32)
Keep mercy and judgment and wait on thy God continually. (Hosea 12:6)
Keep My saying and you shall never see death. (John 8:51 KJV)
Keep my commandments, If ye love me. (John 14:15)
Keep my words, if you love me and my Father will love you, and We will come to you, and make our abode with you. (John 14:15, 23 KJV)
Keep under my body and bring it into subjection. (1 Corinthians 9:27)
Keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3)
Keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus And the peace of God, which passes all understanding. (Philippians 4:7 KJV)
Keep thyself pure. (1 Timothy 5:22 KJV)
Keep his commandments and hereby we do know that we know Him. (1 John 2:3)
Keep his commandments for this is the love of God and his commandments are not grievous. (1 John 5:3)
Keep yourselves from idols. Amen. (1 John 5:21 KJV)
Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. (Jude 1:21)

In all these “keeps,” I did not one time see,“Keep house, you wives of men.” Actually, a couple of times the Bible talks about concubines and a large group of women keeping the house, but nothing specific. Woo hoo! Other than that, I think He wants us to keep ourselves from the top of our head to the tip of our toes and everywhere in between. But God…He knew we could not do this on our own. He sent us help. (I keep my angels on high alert with my none too cautious self.)

For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. (Psalm 91:11 KJV)

I enCOURAGE you to keep. Keep your mouth, your body, your mind, your heart, your way, and His word. It all leads to His best for us. Keep on keeping on!