As Disciples of Christ we walk with God seeking to do his will. Sometimes as we travel we are put to extreme tests of our faith and often we feel as though we have been left alone. We pray and wait for God to answer, we are stretched to the limit and pressed on every side only to hear God sometimes say wait or sometimes say nothing at all! Jesus felt this also. He was put under extremely stressful situations; many people left his side and chose not to follow Him anymore. This week we will be looking at God and what he teaches us about deliverance. Deliverance belongs to the Lord and we will focus on why it is important to understand this.
Psalm 34:1-22
1. I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
3. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
4. I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
5. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
6. This poor man cried and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
7. The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
8. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
9. O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
10. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
11. Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
13. Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile.
14. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
15. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
16. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
17. The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
18. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
19. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
20. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
21. Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
22. The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
Let's talk a bit about this:
I sought the Lord and he heard me and he delivered me from all my fears is what verse 4 says. A common misunderstanding today is to have fear is sin. Fear can be good or fear can be bad, it's what we do with our fears that determine if it is good or bad. In this case David shows us what we should do when we fear, and that is to seek the Lord. If your fear causes you to call out to Jesus this is a great fear! Call on the name of Jesus and he will hear thee and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not!
Often, we are in troubled times and we begin to fear. Are we calling out to Jesus? Wouldn't it be a sad thing that Jesus just wants to help us but we never ask?
Listen to what the word tells us:
For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. Isaiah 50:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2Timothy 1:7
To seek the Lord is to surrender to him, to give him all your troubles and to believe that he is able to help you.
The sin of fear, is not having fear, but rather having unbelief.
When we react to our fears by not calling out to Jesus and by doing things ourselves then we have unbelief, we fail to trust Jesus to deliver us. This is the sin of fear.
Trust God, blessed is the man that trusts in him.
Faithful is he who calls you, who also will do it! 1Thessalonians 5:24
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2Peter 3:9
You see, God will not fail you, just don't fail to call out to Him. He promises and His promises are sure!
After reading these verses what questions do you have?
Answer the following questions:
What was David delivered from?
Did the Lord use an Angel to deliver him?
Who does David say the Lord delivers in verse 17?
What does deliverance mean?
Psalm 40:1-11
1. I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.
10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy loving kindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy loving kindness and thy truth continually preserve me.
