Deliverance“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them ALL.” (Psalm 34:19) In the 1972 classic Deliverance, Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight and friends got more than they bargained for on a canoeing trip in hillbilly country. In this day and age, deliverance is more than just an old Burt Reynolds movie, it is just what we need because trouble appears to surround us on every side. If it’s not a sick economy, it’s the cost of the war on terror, a failing business, a rocky marriage, rebellious children, SARS, mad cow disease, or poor health. But in the midst of seemingly insurmountable problems, God has promised to deliver us. If we want God to be the God of our trouble, then we must let Him be God in our hearts because God only honors those who honor Him. If we’re facing problems, it is of no use to start playing dueling banjo and begging God to save us from them. Rather, we must honor God by going to His Word and doing what He says to do. For example, Psalm 34:4 says “I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” In other words, we are to seek God, and as we seek Him by spending time studying the Word of God day in and day out, He will deliver us from all the things that trouble us. Not only will God deliver us when we seek Him, but God also promises that “those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.” (Psalm 34:10) Next, we are to cry out to God so that He will save us out of not some or even most, but ALL, of our troubles. “This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.” (Psalm 34:6) Then we are to fear God. How do we fear God? According to Psalm 34:13-14, by keeping our tongues from speaking evil and our lips from deceit, departing from evil and doing good, and seeking peace and pursuing it. God promises that there is no want to those who fear Him (Psalm 34:9) and further that the angel of God encamps all around those who fear Him and delivers them. (Psalm 34:7) If we want God to be the God who delivers us from trouble, then we must let Him be the God of our hearts. We must learn to walk with God like David did, fear Him and obey His Word. When we do that, The A-Team, the angelic hosts of heaven, will be mobilized for our deliverance, and our triumph will be a sure thing because the Bible says that we are much more than conquerors. (Romans 8:37)Copyright © 2003 Eddy Ministries. All rights reserved. Subscribe/Unsubscribe: eddyn@earthlink.net
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