Deliverance In and Not From

Here’s a thought for the day …

Psalm 91:14 - “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;”

Question … What does deliverance mean?  The Hebrew word used here is “palat” and it means “to escape, to slip away, to be carried away safely.”  But what does God’s deliverance look like?  I’m thinking about Daniel in the lion’s den.  Rack, Shack and Benny in the fiery furnace, Joseph in prison, Jeremiah in the cistern … and the list goes on and on.  I wonder if deep down inside they struggled with fear.  I wonder if they prayed for the Lord to deliver them from the trial.  And I wonder what they thought as they saw no “apparent” response to their prayer.  What were they thinking as they were thrown into the furnace … the lion’s den … the cistern … the cell.  Did they waver in their faith, or did it increase their resolve?  Or maybe both? 

I’ve heard it said that “sometimes God delivers you FROM a trial, and other times He delivers you IN a trial.”  I wonder if we hurt ourselves and our relationship with God by thinking that God’s deliverance means we won’t have to face difficult or uncertain times.  Could it be that God’s will for us is to go through trials so we can experience His love and faithfulness at a whole new level.  Perhaps the only way people can “see the hope in us” is to be with them in hopeless times.  Light shines the brightest in the darkness, not apart from it.  To be a city on a hill for all to see means building in treacherous and challenging conditions.  

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14

I’m not discounting faith to believe for the miraculous at all.  I believe God delights in healing His people.  But I wonder if sometimes God needs us to be delivered from the fear of something on the inside so we can then bring healing to someone.  

I love to ride roller coasters!  And I love to go to Universal Studios Theme Park with my family to ride the rides.  Only thing was, when my kids were younger, they didn’t want to ride the big coasters.  If I wanted to go, I would have to go by myself.  No big deal.  But I remember hoping they would get past their fear and experience the ride with me.  On one trip, reluctantly, one of my sons decided to go on the “Rip, Ride, Rocket” coaster.  He was so nervous and barely made it to the front of the line.  As we buckled up and the ride started, I remember reassuring him the whole time that it was going to be okay.  This particular ride starts with a 167 foot vertical climb that goes 90 degrees straight up.  I kept saying to my son who was sitting next to me “Are you all right?  How are you doing?  It’s going to be okay!  Get ready!  You’re going to love this!”  While he couldn’t directly see me because of the way the seats were shaped, I knew he could hear me.  Once over the top of the peak, we would begin hurtling towards a top speed of 65 mph.   I keep talking to him the whole time we were on the ride.  “Are you okay?  Are you still doing good?  We’re almost done!”  One of my favorite pieces of advice was “Remember to scream when you go down because it makes you feel better!”  (I still don’t know if this is true, but I was giving him everything I had.)  As the ride came to an end, I remember thinking one thought: I’m about to get the “Worst Dad of the Year” award as I’ve permanently scarred my son for life.  (Oh and Heidi is going to kill me.)  As the shoulder harness released and we stepped out to the cart, I saw my son’s face for the first time.  The moment of truth!  He was grinning from ear to ear!  His first words … “can we do it again and this time can we sit in the very front!”  A love for roller coasters was birthed right in front of me.  But more importantly, I just witnessed my son’s deliverance from one of his greatest fears.  And we’ve been riding ever since.

What happens to a person when they choose to, or sometimes are forced to, face their fears? What happens when all of the stress, worry and energy we have been spending trying to avoid what we fear is no longer needed because we are now experiencing it in real time?  It’s here! We are now in it.  What do we do?  What do we believe about God now?  What is our response to Him and what happens to our belief in His faithfulness?  

Scripture tells us that, like gold, we must often be refined in the fire of life’s trial.  But I have great news … Jesus hasn’t abandoned you to face trials alone.  Truth is He is sitting right next to you the whole time helping you face and overcome your fears and trials.  “I’m right here with you.  I know it’s scary.  I promise I won’t leave you.  Just trust me.”

One thing I’m certain of is that Daniel, Jeremiah, Joseph never had to face their fears alone.  The Lord was with them every step of the way.  I believe He was whispering in their ears “It’s going to be alright!  I’m here with you and I won’t leave you.  Don’t be afraid!”  My personal belief is that hearing His voice and choosing to trust in Him IN the trials is the greatest deliverance we can experience.  It’s that moment where the voice of fear loses its grip on you and the voice of faith embraces you.  Simply put … VICTORY!  

As we navigate uncertain times, can I encourage you to direct your energy and attention towards God.  Talk to Him … it’s called prayer.  Acknowledge Him … it’s called trust.  Walk with Him …it’s called relationship.  After all, how many people around you need to see you face the same fear they are dealing with and continue to trust in God through it.  And maybe, just maybe, when this ride is over, you may find yourself asking God … “can we do that again, but this time in the front row!”