Focus: Reason for Gratitude

Text: Ps.34:19

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: BUT the LORD delivereth him out of them all."

We are in the season of thanksgiving and our God is the reason why we are thankful. We serve a God who is committed to delivering us from all troubles, even from self-caused or self-inflicted ones. Our troubles are many, but our God delivers us from all of them.

When our back is against the wall, our God comes to our rescue. When our foundations are crumbling, our God steps in. When we find ourselves at the crossroads of life or get stuck in the middle of the road, our God comes for us. When we make mistakes and things go wrong or we find ourselves trapped in transition, our God locates and delivers us. He never relents in coming to save us. He has covenanted never to leave our side for any reason.

Paul presents our deliverance in the three tenses of time: past, present and future. He testifies of God "WHO DELIVERED us from so great a death, and DOTH DELIVER: in whom we trust that he will YET DELIVER us…" (2Cor.1:10). He never gets tired of delivering His own. In fact, Christ Jesus sacrificed Himself to ensure that we are eternally delivered. Paul says that He "gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from THIS PRESENT EVIL WORLD, according to the will of God and our Father" (Gal.1:4). In 2Tim.4:18, Paul says, "And the Lord SHALL deliver me from EVERY EVIL WORK, and WILL preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

Our God is expert in the art and science of the safety and security business. He has the technology. He is infinitely disposed to delivering His own. He knows how to apply all the safety measures. He understands, devises and applies safety methodologies. He has put in place every mechanism for saving our lives. His techniques are up to date. Peter writes, "The Lord knoweth HOW to deliver the godly out of temptations…" (2Pet.2:9). Yes, He has the technical know-how of getting the job perfectly done.

*The case of David

David says, "For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall" (Ps.18:29).

*The case of Paul

Luke writes, "Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket" (Act.9:25).

*The case of Daniel

Daniel declares, "My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me" (Dan.6:22). O how perfectly God executed and effected the deliverance! The Scripture says, "So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and NO MANNER OF HURT WAS FOUND UPON HIM, because he believed in his God" (Dan.6:23).

He delivers us differently. He has many ways of achieving the same effect and arriving at the same point. We belong to the perfect God who perfectly and effectively delivers His people. He is the reason for our gratitude and celebration.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter