PRESERVATION
Scripture Reading - Joshua 24:17-18
17 For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:
18 And the LORD drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is our God. KJV
We read in these verses of scripture an admonition from Joshua, the leader of the Children of Israel. The admonition was not to forget what the Lord did for them. In the Old Testament we notice a great inconsistency among the Children of Israel. It seems that whenever they had a strong spiritual leader (judge, king, prophet, etc…) they wholly followed the Lord. This dedication to God kept the door wide open for His many blessing to come upon them. Although we can not number the plethora of good things the Lord does for us we must keep in mind the major blessing that affect our life. Obviously keeping record of all that the Lord has done is impossible because even while we are sleeping the Lord is working goodness and mercy on our behalf. The specific blessing we are pointing out today is “Preservation”. It is interesting to note that during the midst of difficult battles the Lord “preserved” the Children of Israel. The word “preserve” basically means – “to keep alive, prolong existence, to keep safe, to keep away from harm”. There are other definitions but in the context of verse 17 the aforementioned definition is appropriate. Think about it, dear saint, the Lord kept the Children of Israel safe during a time of war. Joshua did not say that the Lord preserved him alone but rather that the Lord “preserved us”. This means that the Lord can “preserve” multitudes (thousands upon thousands) at one time. This verse clearly states it was God’s goodness (or power) that kept the enemies of the Children of Israel from accomplishing their purpose. The purpose of all the enemies of mankind and the Lord is to kill, steal and destroy according to John 10:10 but we have divine protection. The bible tells us that the Lord preserved King David wherever he went in 2 Samuel 8:6 & 14. Also in Psalm 37:28 the Holy Bible tells us that, “the Lord’s saints are preserved forever”. These are recorded biblical fact for our edification, exhortation and comfort. We are living in perilous times so believing for God to “preserve” you is both scriptural and wise. We must know that we walk by faith and not by the physical settings around us. This walk of faith is nothing more than to boldly believe God on the basis of His Word’s spoken to His People (known as His children in the New Testament). Therefore believe God for your complete “preservation” in Christ Jesus then our Mighty Protector will be able to perform His great salvation upon you and your household. So boldly declare your “preservation” as a Child of God to keep the hedge of God’s Power (as a force field) surrounding you and your family in Jesus Name. Amen!