Preservation
Week of August 23, 2009

“This the Lord preserved and gave victory to David wherever he went.”   ~ I Chronicles 18:6 (Amplified Bible)

            When we think of preserving, food often comes to mind.  We realize that the preservation process confronts farmers immediately after the harvest and that our very survival in “winter” seasons depends on how much is preserved.

            Consider this food for thought: After David was made king (harvested), he was totally dependent upon God for survival as he led war.  He clearly had God’s favor.  God’s divine eye and hand was upon him in every battle.  He was victorious all the way.  He was preserved.

To preserve someone or something means to protect [them/it] from danger, especially the danger of being killed or damaged; to guard beforehand; to protect.”  In Hebrew, “preserve” translates into “samar,” which means “to keep, watch, observe, guard; to be set aside, be secured.

            As we read further in I Chronicles 21, we see David fall by disobeying God.  Verse 1 says, “Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.”  The spiritual enemy—his most dangerous opponent yet—provoked David’s emotions to cause him to disobey and distrust God, to cease to rely on the very One who preserved him.  What’s more, when Satan rose up against David’s emotions, he rose up against Israel, of which God had placed David in charge.  As David began to rely upon his own natural mind, he indirectly sided with the enemy to bring guilt upon Israel (21:3) and thwart God’s plan for them.

            How many times has the enemy incited our emotions to cause us to move outside the supernatural power of God?   How many times have we doubted God, looked at our circumstances and chosen not to trust Him?

            We know that the wages of sin is death.  And death is the opposite of preservation (life).  So we see that preservation is directly related to obedience to God.  Verse 14 says that God released a deadly plague on Israel, not on David.  So the ungodly decision that King David made brought despair and death upon those under his reign. 

            How many ungodly decisions have we made that have affected and hurt others whom God entrusted us to oversee either at work or in our personal lives? 

            As we read further, we see that King David was remorseful, wise, humbled and frightened enough to quickly repent.  God even instructed him to do so in verse 18, giving David another opportunity to be obedient.  God knows just how to get us straight with Him.          

            Nonetheless, a very shaken David (verse 30) paid full price for a threshing floor so that he could build an altar to God and be in right standing once again (vs. 22).  His emotions were so upset that he begged God to remove the guilt that he imposed upon himself and Israel (vs. 8).

            How high a price are we willing to pay?

            Sin always costs us.  As we move up the ladder of promotion, of harvest, will we hold tight to God’s ways, or will we come out from under His protection?  Will we be deceived by a new level of enemy attack?  Or will we stand firm in our trust and march forward, completing God’s mission in obedience?  In preservation?

 Forward This Message to a Friend