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Have you asked God to deliver you, but you still find yourself sick, sad, scared, or stuck? If He’s your Deliverer, is He really delivering on His promises?
Sometimes you and I can read verses like Psalm 50:15 and know what God says is true. He tells us, “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” But, yet, it doesn’t feel true or look like it’s coming true in our lives.
But it is. God does what He says. He’s your Deliverer and He will deliver.
The way God keeps His promises, though, is at times confusing or painful for us. And sometimes we don’t even realize He’s delivering us because we don’t recognize the way He does it.
In this episode of the 4:13 Podcast, you’ll learn three ways God delivers according to Scripture. You’ll be so encouraged as you’re reminded that you can get through whatever you face because you aren’t in it alone. Plus, we end with a moving song by Justin Gambino that you’ll be singing all day!
3 Ways God Delivers
- God delivers FROM. Sometimes God delivers us from something hard by removing it or preventing it in the first place. Thousands of years ago, God delivered King Hezekiah from his sickbed (Isaiah 38). The king was wasting away and near death. He cried out to God, and God healed him. Hezekiah was delivered from his illness.
Over a decade ago, God delivered my dad from cancer. He healed him in 2010. God used the hands of a surgeon, but beyond a doctor’s ability, God put His healing hand on my dad and removed any trace of the disease—just like He did for King Hezekiah. God delivered him from cancer.
When God delivers us from something, it’s our favorite kind of deliverance. We clap and praise and brag on Him. We’re quick to shout it from the mountains, share it on social media, and get custom t-shirts made. You may have your own amazing story of God delivering you from something.
- God delivers THROUGH. Other times, God doesn’t prevent suffering and doesn’t remove it. But this doesn’t mean He isn’t still our Deliverer. Thousands of years ago, God delivered three Hebrew young men through a fire (Daniel 3:16–28). They refused to bow down and worship King Nebuchadnezzar. They were thrown into the furnace as their punishment and not only were they not burned, but they walked right out of that fire and didn’t even smell like smoke. They were delivered through the fire.
Right now, God’s delivering my friend Rob through cancer. Rob’s still in treatment, and never stops praying for healing. God hasn’t healed him yet. It’s been over ten years since he was diagnosed. Rob’s faithful, hopeful, and has some really bad days. But, every day with cancer, God’s delivering him through it, and the grace and strength of God shine so brightly in Rob’s hard deliverance.
You may know somebody like Rob. You may be in his same kind of deliverance right now. God is with you, my friend. He’s delivering you, and His grace is shining bright. When you can’t stand up, He will stand up tall in you. If God’s allowing you to go through it, He’s going through it with you.
- God delivers OUT. This is often the deliverance we’d choose last, if we even choose it at all! But, once we get a biblical perspective on it, we may change our minds. Thousands of years ago, God delivered Stephen out of his stoning and into heaven (Acts 7:54-60). Stephen was falsely accused of heresy by the religious leaders, and ultimately dragged outside the city and stoned. As he was dying, Stephen asked Christ to receive his spirit. God took him out of that terror and into His presence. It reminds me of Romans 8:18, “For I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
For those of us who are still here, it’s heartbreaking when God delivers this way. You know how this feels because perhaps God has delivered someone you love out of their suffering and into glory. After a long, hard fight with cancer, God delivered my sweet friend, Genia, out of cancer and into heaven on June 6, 2012. He delivered her the same way He delivered Stephen–not from or through, but out of cancer and into Jesus’ arms.
The same happened with my sweet daddy. After his cancer battle ended many years ago, he later became ill and grew frail. God delivered him through it for years, and then God delivered him out of it on February 18, 2018. Of course, that was not the deliverance I would have chosen. It hurt. But God delivered me through the grief, and I know someday He’ll deliver me out of this body and into heaven where I will see Jesus and my dad.
While I don’t have all of the answers, one thing I do know is this: God is our Deliverer and God does deliver. When we can’t understand His ways, we can trust His character.
Friend, God is with you no matter what you’re feeling and facing, so keep walking by faith. You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.
Related Resources
Free Download
Books and Bible Studies by Jennifer Rothschild
- God Is Just Not Fair: Finding Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense
- Missing Pieces: Real Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense
More from Justin Gambino
Links Mentioned in This Episode
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