His Spirit will dwell. No harm shall come near thee if thy love is
given to Him; safe and untouched by evil thou shalt walk if thou walk
with God. 'He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of Mine eye.' The
soul that trusts Him He takes in charge, and before any evil can fall
to it 'the pillared firmament must be rottenness, and earth be built on
stubble.' 'He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him
against that day.' 'The Lord's portion is His people,' and 'none shall
pluck them out of His hand.'

And on the other side, we belong to God in Christ. What do we owe Him?
What does the vineyard owe the husbandman? Fruit. We are His, therefore
we are bound to absolute submission. 'Ye are not your own.' Life,
circumstances, occupations, all--we hold them at His will. We have no
more right of property in anything than a slave in the bad old days had
in his cabin and patch of ground. They belonged to the master to whom
he belonged. Let us recognise our stewardship, and be glad to know
ourselves His, and all events and things which we sometimes think ours,
His also.

We are His, therefore we owe absolute trust. The slave has at least
this blessing in his lot, that he need have no anxieties; nor need we.
We belong to God, and He will take care of us. A rich man's horses and
dogs are well cared for, and our Owner will not leave us unheeded. Our
well-being involves His good name. Leave anxious thought to masterless
hearts which have to front the world with nobody at their backs. If you
are God's you will be looked after.

We are His, therefore we are bound to live to His praise. That is the
conclusion which one Old Testament passage draws. 'This people have I
formed for Myself; they shall show forth My praise' (Isaiah xliii. 21).