Preservation, Not Paradise

“The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” (Ps 121:8 AV)

It is important that we do not confuse preservation with glorification.  It is important that we understand exactly what the LORD has promised here.  He has not promised an absence of temporary adversity.  Preservation intimates a challenge of adversity.  If there was no adversity, there would be no need for preservation.  To preserve something does not mean to completely remove it from potential harm.  It means to safeguard it that potential harm does not irreparitively mar that which one wishes to preserve.

We have recently moved to a new state.  The LORD has led us to the snowy and cold metropolis of Milwaukee, WI.  The chore to pack up and move was a daunting one.  One I pray does not have to happen again until well into our twilight years.  We packed everything as carefully as we could.  Double and triple wrapping the delicate treasures of our lives, off we went.  Those precious pieces of glassware, knickknacks, and memories were packed into a moving truck as smartly as was humanly possible.  The most delicate of all were at the top.  When we arrived, there was a team waiting for us to help unload.  Even though the boxes were marked ‘fragile’, those tasked with unloading may not have been as careful as we, for they did not realize how valuable a cargo they carried.  By the grace of God, we only lost a serving plate and a pitcher that was a third-generation item.  All the rest survived.  However, what our treasures did not escape was the jostling, the tossing, the bumps, and the subtle drops associated with the move.  There were still thrown around rather violently compared to their resting place in our home.  We preserved them from permanent harm, but not from the experience that comes with the environment which that harm could have produced.

We are mistaken and disappointed when we expect the LORD to keep us from any and all unsavory experiences of life.  We think that once we are saved, the it’s unicorns and rainbows.  The fact of the matter is, the LORD does not promise to keep us from adversity.  It is often that adversity that brings us from where we are to where we need to be.  What He does promise is that He will preserve Your soul.  He will take care of you and no matter the trip, you will arrive in glory the better for it.