The Preservation Project

“Are you ready for your lesson?” my niece said. “The first part of my training would be in restoration and second part has to do with preservation or conservation.”

I put my phone on speaker while I grabbed my coffee and sank in my comfy chair.

“Once the piece is restored then it’s preserved or protected from future damage. That is referred to as art conservation.” (Britannica.com)

We chatted about her future plans and dreams until I ran out of coffee, and she had to go.

The conversation ended, but my mind didn’t.

To preserve or protect from future damage…

Isn’t that what God does when we choose to surrender our lives to Him?

Just like a loving father, He promises to preserve us, protect us and defend us from trouble.
In 1 Samuel 19:2 David was urged by his friend Jonathan to find a hiding place because King Saul wanted to kill him.

In Psalm 32:7 David refers to God like this:

You are my hiding place. You will preserve me from trouble. You will surround me with songs of deliverance.

When I was a little girl, I spent every weekend at my grandparents’ house. One night, during a thunderstorm, the power went out. I sprinted to their bedroom, jumped in between them and hid under the covers. The thunderstorm didn’t stop, and power was out for several hours, but I felt so safe and happy that I had no trouble falling asleep.

When we trust in the Lord, we can be confident that we are safe in His hands and as a result our heart is filled with joy and peace.

This doesn’t mean that we won’t experience trouble.

It means that when we are confronted by them, we can hide in the shadow of His wings, find refuge under His shelter and rest securely because He will never move away from our side.

A few months ago, I received an unexpected medical report. A heart murmur that I considered harmless had become severe.

Today, as we speak, I am having robotic heart surgery to repair my mitral valve.

I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been nervous about it, even though my surgeon assured me: “With this your life expectancy is in the 90’s!”

Sadly, I can’t run into my grandparent’s room and hide under their covers.

Fortunately, I can run to Jesus and hide in His promises, in His love and His faithfulness, and I confidently declare:

I can lie down and go to sleep, then wake up again, because the Lord protects me.

                                                      Ps. 3:5(ICB)