Tereo

Tereo means :

“τηρέω tereo (tay-reh’-o) v.
1. to guard (from loss or injury)
2. (properly) by keeping the eye upon, i.e. to note (a prophecy)
3. (… figuratively) to fulfil a command
4. (by implication) to detain in custody
5. (… figuratively) to maintain
6. (by extension) to withhold for personal ends
7. (… figuratively) to keep unmarried
{differs from G5442, which is properly to prevent escaping; and from G2892, which implies a fortress or full military lines of apparatus}
[from teros “a watch” (perhaps akin to G2334)]
KJV: hold fast, keep(- er), (pre-, re-)serve, watch”
(Mickelson’s Enhanced Strong’s Greek and Hebrew Dictionaries)

The way I was able to listen more deeply to the sweet gentle direction of God was through these scriptures:

Isa 1:16-19 (KJ2000) ” 16 Wash you, make yourself clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil; 17 Learn to do good; seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 18 Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land:”

Matt 22:37 (KJ2000) ” 37 Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. ”

Matt 11:25-27 (KJ2000) ” 25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them unto babes. 26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in your sight. 27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knows the Son, but the Father; neither knows any man the Father, except the Son, and he to whomever the Son will reveal him.”
Jesus reveals what is important to whomever He will.

I must not let the mind be in control. I need to use reason but not let the brain use me.
How to use heart instead?

Here is a parable I learned about two holes.

I had a hole in my driveway from the ice. The ice raises up the ground and allows the ground to erode quickly and forms holes. I must fill in the hole much like a drain gets clogged. Little by little with small material until it is completely filled. It is not a permanent fix but is stable enough for a car to drive over.
The other ‘hole’ I had to deal with was my clogged sink. It was difficult to remove all the matter so that the water could flow freely. I had to take apart several sections of PVC pipe. Clean them thoroughly and then plunge the remaining sections that were not accessible. I let the water flow and then pushed and pulled with a plunger until finally all the little sections of gunk were released and water flowed freely.

It was funny to me afterward that on the same day I had to clog and unclog something.
‘How much my life is like that’, I thought. Unclogging the junk in my mind and heart and life to let Jesus love flow on the one hand and growing in faith little by little adding to my willingness to participate in His grace.
God is sooo great.

The open heart part. The really good stuff:

Col 3:12-17 (KJ2000) ” 12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do you. 14 And above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you are called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by him.”

Col3:16 NIV “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”

Read it accentuating the words ALL, and singing with gratitude in my heart to God.
NET “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God.”

Let the Logos inhabit you abundantly.
in the whole of wisdom.

I also like the mingling of grace and thanksgiving.

The word for gratitude is = ” χάρις charis (khar’-ece) n.
1. graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act
2. (especially) the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life
3. (also) gratitude
{abstract or concrete, literal, figurative or spiritual}
[from G5463] KJV: acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace(- ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank(-s, -worthy) Root(s)” (Mickelson’s Enhanced Strong’s Greek and Hebrew Dictionaries)

It reminds me of something I heard. ‘you can’t divide God’ Wherever He is He is wholly present. This is an awesome mystery. I have also heard ‘the fullness of God dwells…’ Never really understood it How could I? How can the whole universe be contained in a mustard seed. Although he does not necessarily dwell in a mustard seed He does dwell in our hearts.

John 14:16-26 ” And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him: but you know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you.
I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Yet a little while, and the world sees me no more; but you see me: because I live, you shall live also.
20) At that day you shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.
21) He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me: and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
22) Judas said unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself unto us, and not unto the world?
23) Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man loves me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24) He that loves me not keeps not my sayings: and the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.
25) These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
26) But the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

(John 14:21) He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me: and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

WE translation puts it this way `He who knows the things I tell him to do and does them, really loves me. My Father will love him and I also will love him. I will show him who I am.’
Interesting note. Doing his commandments it is said in this verse ‘keeping’ which is the word:
“G5083 G5083 τηρέω tereo (tay-reh’-o) v.
1. to guard (from loss or injury)
2. (properly) by keeping the eye upon, i.e. to note (a prophecy)
3. (… figuratively) to fulfil a command
4. (by implication) to detain in custody
5. (… figuratively) to maintain
6. (by extension) to withhold for personal ends
7. (… figuratively) to keep unmarried
{differs from G5442, which is properly to prevent escaping; and from G2892, which implies a fortress or full military lines of apparatus}
[from teros “a watch” (perhaps akin to G2334)]
KJV: hold fast, keep(- er), (pre-, re-)serve, watch
Compare: G5442, G2892
See also: G2334″ (Mickelson’s Enhanced Strong’s Greek and Hebrew Dictionaries)

Which implies to me a purity and commitment. Like vowing to chastity.
(John 2:10) And said unto him, Every man at the beginning does set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but you have kept the good wine until now.
He saved the good wine.

(John 8:51) Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keeps my saying, he shall never see death.
(John 8:55) Yet you have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.
(John 8:56) Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

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This makes me think that only Jesus actually kept the commandments.
I must strive to do so also.
And yet unless my righteousness surpasses that of the pharisees…

Only Jesus can do it in me today .

It is only Jesus always and forever.
‘Thank you Father Jesus. Be born in me completely. Continue to lead my heart and be my obsession, my love.’

(John 9:16) Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keeps not the Sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.

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Keeping the Sabbath is a command.
I keep it by resting and meditating on His holiness. By setting apart this whole day for Him like devotions. They are daily Sabbaths.

Thank you Jesus. Again and again. Your love flows very well like a rushing river without end.
Praise you for your love and goodness and amazing mind blowing grace.

(Acts 21:25) And concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, except only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication.

=
The command to be circumcised was nullified. Does this mean every word in the Old Testament is void. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Every word is fulfilled. And this is often how paradoxes and apparent contradictions are solved. It takes a different perspective. Many paradoxes are only seemingly so.

Then even this. The command to be circumcised is re-instated only in a spiritual sense.
To circumcise my heart.
‘O Jesus please continue to circumcise my heart until all I care about is you.’
(Rom 2:29) But he is a Jew, who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
by being righteous.

(1Pet 1:3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
(1Pet 1:4) To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in heaven for you,
tereo = reserved

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‘Jesus you are my joy now and more completely in heaven. On earth as it is in heaven. Use me to accomplish this awesome thing. I trust you and love you. Give me the strength and courage and honesty to keep growing.’