PRESERVED AND DELIVERED

"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" (2 Timothy 4:18).

The word preserve here means "to guard, protect, keep, make safe, hedge about." God is saying, "I'm going to guard you, protect you, keep you, make you safe, hedge you about so the devil cannot touch you. I Myself will deliver you into My heavenly kingdom."

Do you see what a liar the devil is? He says he is going to get you but all the while, God has promised to keep you!

Not long ago, I had an incredible experience. I had risen early to pray and was sitting in my living room with my Bible. Suddenly Satan began to intrude into my mind. He screamed vile, threatening curses at me: "You are going to be destroyed! You've spent a lifetime serving God for nothing and now I'm going to get you and cast you down in your final years."

I saw before me all the evangelists Satan had brought down in recent years. The devil shouted, "I got all of them and they loved Jesus just as you do. Why do you think you're so special? You're no good, nothing but a liar and a cheat, and I'm going to shut you and your ministry down for good!"

It was the most devastating attack I have ever felt in my life. I was overwhelmed—the attack literally took my breath away! But then the Spirit of the Lord came upon me and I stood up in a holy anger, bound Satan and cast him out of my presence.

"Devil, you're a liar and the father of all lies!" I rebuked him with God's Word—and God's Word delivered me from all fear!

Beloved, God wants to do the same for you. Will you let Him? Listen again to God's Word to you: "He preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked" (Psalm 97:10). The Lord will guard you, protect you, keep you, put a hedge all about you—until the day Jesus returns!