
Preserve means 1. to keep safe from injury, harm or destruction; to protect and 2. to keep up and reserve for personal or special use. Please know that if the King has a special purpose for your life, that purpose and assignment comes with His protection. I can personally testify to that statement. Another example is ambassador Paul. He was a "bad man" but the Lord Jesus preserved him for His purpose and gave him an assignment. His name at first was Saul. Read a little about His past. It was Saul who assisted in the stoning of Stephen. The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”
Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.
As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.
Once again, Saul was a bad man. He led many citizens of the Kingdom to be persecuted. Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.
Keep in mind, when the Lord Jesus sent His disciples out by twos, He stated: Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans..." That was because He had Saul, who was later to be called Paul, to become the ambassador (or apostle) to the Gentile nation. It was while Saul was in the midst of persecuting Believers that the Lord Jesus interrupted Saul. Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.
As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting Me?”
“Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.
And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” First, the Lord Jesus had to get his attention. Then He sent Saul where he would get his assignment: Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord!” he replied.
The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to Me right now. I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.”
“But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.”
But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take My message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. And I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength.
Keep in mind, when the Lord God has a purpose for you He will protect and guide you. He will preserve you for His purpose for your life. Did you notice that when the Lord Jesus got Saul's attention, he recognized who He was and addressed Him accordingly? As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
“Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.
And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!
The Lord Jesus had preserved Saul for His purpose long before Saul was ever aware of it. Certainly long before his name was changed from Saul to Paul. Having said that, the Lord God has a purpose for your life as well as an assignment. First you have to submit your will to His Will through the Governor--Holy Spirit--and He will guide you to all truth. “If you love me, obey My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him. But you know Him, because He lives with you now and later will be in you." He will be with us every step of the way. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Saul wasn't looking for God's purpose for his life. He thought punishing and killing Believers in Jesus was his purpose...until that fateful day on the road to Damascus when Jesus stopped him in his sin and gave him his assignment!
Remember, your faith in His Word is your greatest asset in His Kingdom.
Acts 7:54-59, 9:1-2 Matthew 10:5 Acts 9:1-6, 10-18, 9:3-5
John 14:14-17, 18 All NLT unless noted
W.R. Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed. Thank you