When I was 8 my family moved from a small country town in NSW to a small farm of 800 acres.  Around the old country farm house were established fruit trees; oranges, lemons, mandarins, plums, peaches and apricots.   I particularly remember those apricots as they seemed to be the most plentiful & so Dad figured we should preserve them, and Mum got the job.

Many of our summers were spent turning them into jam and canned apricots on the big old bbq in a water bath with fowlers glass jars.

Some summers the fruit flies got into those apricots and we couldn’t salvage many at all so the chooks got them, but other years we canned so many jars.

At about the age of 15 I think I observed that we really weren’t eating the jam in particular so I started taking them into town and giving a jar each to the old ladies in the op shop.

Preserve means to keep.

I wondered what God had to say about the word preserve?

Turns out quite a bit.  There seemed to be some twin truths. God would preserve his saints, in fact there are four references to David’s escapades and the fact that God preserved him through them and then there are also references to truth and discretion helping us to be preserved.

There are also some very recognisable Psalms with the Word preserve in them, including the Psalm Where does my help come from? And Lead me to the Rock that is Higher than I.   In both places the author is asking for his life to be preserved and acknowledging his help came from heaven.

Psalm 119:116 Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.

Psalm 146:5  Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God,

In a few places it says it is God’s mercy, truth and lovingkindness that preserves us.

God says He is our shield and when we link these preservation Scriptures up with promises like the ones found in Psalm 91, we can see that with long life he wants to satisfy us and show us His salvation.

Enjoy this feast of Scriptures of the God who preserves along with this FREE PRINTABLE

Gen 45:7
And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

Duet 6:24
And the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day.

Joshua 24:17
for the Lord our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went and among all the people through whom we passed.

1 Cor 18:13  He also put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the Lord preserved David wherever he went.

4 times it says the Lord preserved David

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You. Psalm 25:21

Psalm 31:23 Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person.

You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah   Psalm 32:7

Psalm 36:6
Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep; O Lord, You preserve man and beast.

Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord; Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.  Psalm 40:11

The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, And he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.  Psalm 41:2

Psalm 61:2-& 7 David

When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to a rock that is stronger than I

He shall abide before God forever.
Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may ^[c]preserve him!

Psalm 79:11

Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You; According to the greatness of Your power Preserve those who are appointed to die;

Psalm 86:2 (David)
Preserve my life, for I am holy; You are my God; Save Your servant who trusts in You!

Psalm 116:6
The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me.

Psalm 121:1-2,8   I will lift up my eyes to the hill, where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord the maker of heaven and earth.  The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Proverbs 2:8
He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints.

1 Thess 5:23  Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Tim 4:18
And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!