He fought for Israel at the crossing of the Red Sea and when the walls of Jericho crumbled. He protected David from the javelins of the jealous Saul, and the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace. He gave the lions lockjaw when Daniel spent the night with them, and foiled wicked Haman’s plans to eradicate the Jews.
By Denzil Holman
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For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day (II Timothy 1:12).
The words “preserve” and “preservatives” are common in our language. These terms illustrate to us the concept of saving things for another day or because of calamities either expected or unexpected. We have nature preserves for the protection of wildlife so that future generations can enjoy them. The armed forces and National Guard are to help preserve our freedoms and liberty. We wear life preservers while in boats to protect us from drowning if we fall overboard or a boat capsizes.
There are various ways to keep something. We can place it in a vault or in a secured museum with security and guards to keep intruders away. We can isolate it from outside exposure so that the elements cannot corrode or rust it. Sometimes people will cover new furniture with plastic or a throw to protect the fabric, but at the same time, they are cheating themselves of seeing the beauty of the fabric they chose when it was in the showroom.
Others will try to keep something by not using it. The man with one talent buried it instead of using it, and God called him a wicked and slothful servant (Matthew 25:26). To keep muscle mass, we must use it or lose it to atrophy. Faith, too, becomes stronger when exercised.
God has always preserved the righteous by either protecting them from the evil or giving them the strength and grace to go through the fire victoriously. Life is filled with storms, and He can choose to deliver us from the storm or go through it with us. The beautiful promise of God is that we are never alone.
A few years ago, I had an experience that I recall clearly. I was walking through my home one day when the Lord spoke to me unmistakably, “The Lord is with you.” It was sweet and comforting, but at the time I lacked understanding of the purpose of it. Shortly afterward, the Lord spoke a second time and told me, “I’ll be your friend.” I pondered these things and kept them in my heart. A few short months later, I went through a severe trial of betrayal and intense emotional hurt. In the midst of the trial, the Lord reassured me of His presence and reminded me of what He had spoken to me earlier. I realized that He was telling me, “I’m going to keep you and bring you safely through this trial.” From that trial, a book was birthed, entitled Look for a Window, which has sold for many years and has blessed those who were going through times of distress.
There are many examples in the Scriptures of those who were kept by the power of God. When Noah and his family were in the ark, the storm was raging and the rains were pouring to the accompaniment of the cries of the perishing. The promise, “God remembered Noah,” is a testimony to the faithfulness of our God. He didn’t exempt them from going through the flood, but it never engulfed them. They floated upon the surface of the water. The same water that brought destruction to others provided them with a means to float above the chaos.
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