Preservatives Included
By Elin Henderson
“You have granted me life and favor, and Your care has preserved my spirit.”
Job 10:38 (NKJV)
As much as everyone hates preservatives, once and awhile, I wish I had a few on hand! When you live in a place with temps in the triple digits over half of the year…no AC, no fans, and 100% humidity round the clock, well, let’s just say food doesn’t preserve well! Chips or cookies left uncovered for more than an hour or so will turn to mush, and if left uncovered for more than that, will end up changing into hues of green and yellow mold! If it wasn’t for my freezer and supply of Ziplocs and Tupperware, we’d hardly have anything edible! Shelf life of everything from fruit and veggies to dairy products - - even refrigerated - - is definitely limited!
What is the job of a preservative? To keep things fresh. For food, it has to be done artificially (hence, why we are generally so against it). But, praise the Lord that HE is the natural preservative in our lives. When the environment gets tough, it is then that we are most aware of the need for (or lack of) preservatives. This was the case for Job in Job 10. Things had gotten pretty tough for him. He had suffered the loss of everything he had and, to top it off, his well-meaning friends show up and instead of encouraging him, discourage him even further. We find him at a pretty low point here. What does he remember? He has a preservative factor in his life.
Were it not for the preservative powers of the Lord in our life, His watch and care over us, we would all expire long before our time! He grants us life, He grants us favor and, on top of it all, His loving care! It is that care that preserves our spirits and keeps us fresh for the life and favor He bestows upon us.
So, the next time the environment threatens to overwhelm you, remember there are “Preservatives Included” in the life and favor God has given you. His care can help us stay fresh, despite the circumstances around us!
GOING DEEPER:
1. Read I Peter 5:6-7. What does it remind us about our cares and His Preservative care?
2. His preservative care takes on many forms. What forms has it taken on in your life lately?
FURTHER READING:
I Peter 5:6-7; Psalm 23
Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson and her husband Phil serve as church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa. Elin is mother to eleven-year-old Callie and eight-year-old Elias.
