Relatives of Iraqi Christians who were murdered for their faith in 2010
Psalm 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
A dear brother in the faith emailed this verse to me last year. The great irony is that he is the one who had a loved one who was very ill at that time and here he was trying to encourage me! Reading it just moved me. He had such strong faith in such a hard time. The power of God’s Word is amazing! We must remember that in our service, worship and work for The Lord our God, that He is here to deliver us. This is not a one-sided relationship. In every trial and difficult situation, God is with us every step of the way. The Bible tells us we will indeed suffer afflictions. And that we should rejoice in them. Look at how David opens the Psalm
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.
It is a call to praise! Not just occasionally, but continually. Like the love of a mother that pours of her as he holds her newborn child, we too should let our heart, mind and words overflow with praises of our Lord. And in our afflictions we will be sure to remember Him. We then read:
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. ….
17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles
When we have a consistent relationship with The Lord, we have confidence to go before His Throne in our difficult times. Again we see the loving relationship at work. David “sought” The Lord and was heard. They looked unto him and were lightened. The poor man and the righteous cry out and The Lord hears and saves. Just like the sleeping mother hears the whimper of her infant The Lord will rush to His children to lovingly tend to their every distress.
So yes Christian, we can look for healing, blessing and restoration from God. So again I say, rejoice! The Lord Almighty loves His children and whether we are suffering from illness, emotional pain or just struggling to make ends meet, we can pray for deliverance from the situation. The Lord answers all prayers in accordance with His Perfect Will and will deliver us in the way that is best for our growth and refinement.
So when things seem hopeless and when life’s problems and trials have pushed you to the breaking point, it’s a perfect time to get on your knees for private prayer time to worship The Lord, rejoice in your salvation and pray for the solution that His Word promises. The Lord will never leave us, never abandon us and never forget us. Jesus reinforced this to His Disciples before His Ascension to Heaven:
and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Amen