Pickles, Preserved, and Paul

Psalms 121:7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

Proverbs 22:12 The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor.

2 Timothy 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

I remember a Message that Bishop preached years ago on the preserving of the Saints. In thinking of this, it struck me how pickling is a literal example of a spiritual concept. Both use vinegary situations, and a little mustard seed to produce something that stands up against corruption.

Ever since I was a child, I remember pickles. They were a staple in our family. Whether you like sweet or sour pickles, they are a food most are familiar with. They also date back to ancient Mesopotamia and the Tigris valley. Most of the ones I’m familiar with, use mustard seeds.

To illustrate how this ties in, consider this. David said The Lord shall preserve you from all evil. Solomon said The eyes of The Lord would preserve knowledge. According to commentators, this specifically refers to the knowledge of God, even in areas where many are not familiar with Him. Finally Paul said God would deliver him, not only from every evil work, but preserve him to God’s heavenly kingdom.

In other words, whether it’s circumstances or the active efforts of others to destroy you, God will keep you. This is why prayer and reading God’s Word is so important, if we allow Him to feel our lives, His knowledge will sustain us. Lastly, in a age when the one thing everyone can agree on is that’s it’s a crazy time, The Lord has a Kingdom that will not be moved.

Those that trust in Him, will not only be preserved from every battle they face, but to see a brighter day in His Kingdom. This isn’t a rescue mission, it’s a new day, and God is able to sustain us to that day, and cause us to thrive in this one. Adverse situations and challenges are nothing new to the Church, but if we have faith as a grain of mustard seed, we will be preserved to see Jesus in all His glory!