Psalm 119:89 - Preserved

September 9, 2026

Preserved #

Psalm 119:89-91

Introduction

Preserve – 1. to keep or save from injury or destruction; to defend from evil. 2. To uphold; to sustain; 3. To save from decay; to keep in a sound state 4. To season with sugar or other substances for preservation 5. to keep or defend from corruption

This past weekend at my parents house, it has been in the family since before I was born! I remember well, my grandmother making jelly, and preserving it in jars! My mom still does some of that.. There are times I open a jar, and wonder how old it is… and it never ceases to amaze me that the jelly, is still preserved. It has been kept from decay, saved from destruction, no special care is needed, it is PRESERVED in that jar!

If you remember last week, we have quite a contrast from what we observed in just the last octet in which was titled, A Dark Hour. This week, we are looking at the idea of Preserved!

Spurgeon wrote at this point, “After tossing about on a sea of trouble the psalmist here leaps to shore and stands upon a rock. Jehovah’s word is not fickle nor uncertain; it is settled, determined, fixed, sure, immovable.”

I. Preservation by God (89-91) #

A. God’s Word is preserved (89) #

i. Only in heaven?? - #

    • Some would have us believe that it is only preserved in heaven.

Matthew 5:17–18 —17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

  • God expects us to know the law, and the prophets. It is preserved here on earth!

    • It is not a collective preservation (preserved in the ESV, ASV, NASB, NIV, Greek, Hebrew) and we have to run around and piece it all together.
    • It is preserved for us in the King James Bible!
    • Those who discredit the KJB, say you have to look at all the versions.

ii. “for ever” #

    • No end… it will be preserved for all of eternity!

iii. Settled – immovable, without change, settled! #

    • Why all the changes to the Word of God?? – it is settled!
    • “Received Text” was a Greek text passed down, it was settled! Greek was the language of the day. English is the world wide business language of our day!

Isaiah 59:21 —21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.

B. Earth is preserved (90) #

  • Trillions of dollars are spent around the world, on causes like, “Save the Planet”, “Environmental Protection”, “Clean energy”
  • God is the one that preserves the earth!

Genesis 8:22 — While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

C. “They continue” (91) #

i. The earth is one planet in a complex system of stars, and planets! #

  • They estimate there to be a 10 sextillion to 1 septillion stars, and an equal amount of planets… We live on ONE planet!

Psalm 8:3–4 —3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

ii. He knows everyone of them #

Psalm 147:4 — He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.

    • A God that can keep track of every star, and know their name… is an amazing God!

      • I can’t even get all my kids names right!

iii. “all are thy servants” #

  • They are all subject to Him.

    • If he wants them to burn out, they will!

  • The earth is going to burn up, and be replaced!

  • God is so much bigger, and more impressive than you and I can fathom!

D. God’s faithfulness is preserved (90) #

  • God is not going to let these things fail, he is faithful!

Philippians 1:6 — Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

i. God preserves the Word #

ii. God preserves the World or Universe #

II. Preservation by the Word (92-96) #

A. Saves Sinners (92, 94) #

i. Perished in my affliction #

  • Our greatest problem is our own sin!

Romans 3:10 — As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Romans 3:23 — For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

ii. Death & condemnation #

Romans 6:23 — For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

John 3:18 — He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

    • Salvation is through Jesus Christ alone! -

iii. Repent and believe! #

Acts 3:19 — Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

iv. Call on Jesus #

Romans 10:9–10 —9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Romans 10:13 — For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

  • All written in the Word!

B. Restores Life (93) – quickened - life #

  • God’s Word teaches us about Salvation, and gives us life!

John 3:16 — For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

C. Provides safety from enemies! (95) #

  • There is a spiritual battle.

Luke 22:31–32 —31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

i. There is an enemy that desires to destroy us! #

1 Peter 5:8–9 —8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

D. Provides even more than can be measured! (96) #

  • “The idea is how that David had seen the limits of earthly perfection. Implied is his acknowledgement that nothing in this life is perfect. However, in contrast, the Word of God can never be fully fathomed. Its breadth cannot be measured. Its depth cannot be plumbed. Its promises can never be exhausted. It is exceeding broad, limitless.” – Dr. David Sorenson
Tags: Creation God Preservation Salvation