The Alpha of Deliverance

UV2986/10000 The Alpha of Deliverance
The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
Psalm 34 v 17
The believers who are righteous by faith not by deeds, by grace not works are more subject to all kinds of afflictions in the course of their life time. But each affliction brings them closer to the Lord as they cry out to the Lord with broken hearts. It becomes an opportunity for the Lord to pour in His grace and mercy and power and to give a revelation of His deep love and great power. The early apostles faced much trouble especially in terms of persecution. On one occasion, when Peter was imprisoned and held with two chains and as he slept between two guards, the Lord sent his angel to deliver him. The Lord was responding to the incessant prayer of the believers in the city. Paul was likewise afflicted in many ways but the Lord delivered him from prison, from ship wreck, from the venom of a poisonous snake, from being stoned, from torture at the hands of the Roman soldiers.

The means the Lord uses to deliver us from our troubles can be either natural or supernatural as cited in the instance above of Peter. Jesus could heal the centurion’s servant without visiting his house by merely speaking the word of healing. People could be healed by just His touch. When the hungry had to be fed , He just blessed and multiplied the available resources. When we face a financial or business crisis, He blesses our available resources or makes possible a miraculous turnaround. Sometimes, He delivers us from physical danger like accidents without even our knowledge or awareness. He delivers us from diseases either by miraculous healing or a natural process of medical healing or a combination of both. As such afflictions or troubles come our way not as a punishment but to reveal the wonderful works of the Lord.

The Lord delivers us from ALL of our troubles not just some of them. In many cases, He hears us even before or while we are praying for He knows all things affecting us. He does not willingly put us through such pain. But human nature is so fickle and superficial that we do need a deeper appreciation of the love of the Lord which we experience in times of trouble. For instance, when I lost my sleep due to a stomach upset, only then do I realize that sleep and good health are such great gifts of grace that nothing we do can earn or buy. When I am unjustly attacked or accused by rivals or foes, then I realize the amazing care and protection of the Lord.