The Lord preserveth all them
that love Him. 

     During the Napoleonic wars, the French government was faced with the problem of preserving foods which could be transported long distances to its soldiers, stationed throughout Europe. An award of 12,000 francs was offered to anyone who could find a solution.
     Nicolas Appert (1750-1841), a candy-maker, accepted the challenge. After 14 years of experiments, he took home the cash. He demonstrated that bacterial spoilage could be prevented and the freshness of foods preserved when food was sealed in bottles and submerged in boiling water.
     Like Nicolas Appert, the Lord is also in the preservation business. When trials come, like bacteria, to spoil the freshness of your soul and destroy your peace of mind, "let not your heart be troubled" (John 14:1). "Be of good courage" (Ps. 27:14) for "the Lord shall preserve thee from all evil" (Ps. 121:7). "He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways" (Ps. 91:11).