Deliverance From All of Our Troubles

Deliverance From All of Our Troubles, Sabbath Devotional Reading, June 30, 2023

“I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him And saved him out of all his troubles.” —Psalm 34:4,6

When David wrote the 34th chapter of Psalm, he was a fugitive, living in caves, and on the run from King Saul who planned to kill him. Although we cannot relate to his extreme situation, all of us have experiential knowledge of how it feels to have troubles that we cannot resolve. Yet, David gives us his testimony that God is faithful and will always deliver us when we pray in faith and wait on the Lord.

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears And delivers them out of all their troubles. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.” —Psalm 34:17,19

“The Contemporary English Version of Psalm 34, verses 17 and 19 reads: “When his people pray for help, he listens and rescues them from their troubles. The Lord’s people may suffer a lot, but he will always bring them safely through.”

With confidence, we trust our Heavenly Father to answer our cries for help. The Bible reveals that God is a Loving Father who promises to take care of the righteous by giving us victory over all obstacles. We pray and are ever hopeful for a quick answer to our prayers.

How do we react when we have to wait for God’s Divine Intervention?

David was a fugitive for many years. Bible scholars tell us he became king at the age of 30. He was a young teenager when anointed by the prophet Samuel. A guestimate would be between 15 and 20 years living on the run. Although David tells us that God always keeps His promises and to wait on the Lord (Psalm 27:14), most believers begin to experience anxiety and worry within 24 hours of praying for God’s Divine Intervention.

Reflection: Why do I have the expectation that God will answer my prayers immediately?

The Waiting Period—When will God answer my prayers? And why hasn’t God answered my prayers?

We begin to overthink and create various reasons why God has not immediately answered our prayers. Sadly, we become discouraged or angry because God is silent. But impatience is a bitter fruit that causes us to lose faith, resulting in us not trusting in God’s promises and His power.

As our emotions escalate, our faith dwindles! Without a biblical foundation and consistent prayer, in troublesome times, our faith is weak or nonexistent. Suffering from spiritual malnutrition, we easily place ourselves under a dark cloud of unbelief and worry consumes our thoughts.

God is Omniscience—All-Knowing. We can have the assurance that God has knowledge of every trial and unexpected life event before they happen. Yes, He allowed us to journey through this tribulation. And He already knows how we will react! Prayer Warriors will keep on praying and believing in faith, but those who are sporadic in praying and studying the Scriptures will falter almost immediately.

It is comforting to know that God is infallible and incapable of making mistakes. Our Heavenly Father knows the level of faith each of us possesses and whether it will remain unwavering. Will we strengthen our faith while waiting or will we attempt to solve the issue on our own?

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” —Isaiah 40:31

Jesus asks the question: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” —Luke 6:46

Waiting on God is not only a spiritual test, waiting produces spiritual growth! Our love for Christ is demonstrated through obedience. Never minimize the spiritual importance of obeying God. How crucial is obedience to our righteousness? Obedience to God results in living an earthly life that allows the Holy Spirit to change our character in preparation to receive eternal life.

God expects every believer to have the spiritual qualities that are required for us to have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

” ‘And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” Mark 12:30

“But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” —Hebrews 11:6

Psalm 34:15: NKJV—”The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.” CEV—”If you obey the Lord, he will watch over you and answer your prayers.”

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. —Psalm 34:18. NIV—”The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

The characteristic of a broken heart is bitter disappointment producing sorrow and grief. “Contrite means ‘penitent,’ humbled by our own sins and failures, seeking after God.” openthebible.org

“…At the right time, I, the LORD, will make it happen.” —Isaiah 60:22

Waiting on God requires much faith and a spirit of humility demonstrated by our heart’s desire to reverence and honor God by seeking His will. We can develop the mindset, “I don’t mind waiting on God because His resolution to my challenges is perfect.”

Will we feel discouraged [at times] while waiting? Yes! Never forget that God is transforming us. Waiting on God has a purpose—waiting through troublesome times produces perseverance and a righteous character! The human effort of remaining patient, faithful, and obedient is honored by God. Continue or start having daily worship [praying and studying the Scriptures] to build your faith and endurance. Pray for the Holy Spirit to give you spiritual strength while waiting for your breakthrough miracle of deliverance.

Waiting is not punishment nor indication that God has forgotten. David waited 15 years before He became king at the age of 30. During the waiting, God is transforming our character and strengthening our faith. Trusting in God is more than verbalizing the spoken words of “God, I trust You.” We are guaranteed a victorious outcome if we remain steadfast until we receive deliverance.

Scripture Reading: “Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ My heart said to You, ‘Your face, Lord, I will seek.’ ” 13 “I would have lost heart [courage], unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. 14 Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord! ” —Psalm 27, Verses 7,8,13, and 14

Prayer: Hear our prayer, O LORD, forgive us of our transgressions, and deliver us from our adversity. We ask for the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to give us the spiritual strength to persevere through this trial. Jesus, we need You to help us to remain steadfast during the time of waiting for the promise of deliverance. We pray in faith and in Jesus’ Worthy Name, we ask these things. Amen.

© 2023 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries