Our Deliverer

​Have you ever needed God to deliver you from a difficult life situation?
I have. As a matter of fact, many times over my sixty-nine years and counting life span I have needed to be rescued. There are spiritual forces, wicked people and stuff in life that you and I need delivered from.
I have concluded and personally experienced that divine deliverance is the only way to go when I need delivered.
If you study scripture found in God’s Word, the Bible, you will discover that God delivers from sin, iniquity, the evil one (Satan), from enemies, from calamities, disasters, tragedies, setbacks, illness…you name it. When God’s people need delivered, He delivers!
God is a God of deliverances.
Psalm 68:19-20 declares “Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation. God is to us a God of deliverances, and to God the Lord belong escapes from death.”
Please note the Psalmist acknowledges that, not only does God bear our burden and save us, He is also a God of deliverances, many deliverances. Not just a one time or a handful, but as many deliverances and rescues we may need throughout our earthly life.
While writing this, I reflected on numerous times when God delivered me.

• God delivered me from sin, death and the power of the grave when I received Jesus into my heart, whom the Father sent to shed His blood for the forgiveness of my sins and give me the gift of eternal life.  Hallelujah!
• God delivered me from an evil band of gang-bangers who stalked and threatened me when I served in the military. The Lord God Almighty rescued me from the hands of wicked men who sought to take my life.
• God delivered me from severe reactive depression that nearly took my life by suicide.
• God has delivered me and my family from unfair, forced transitions in the ministry and financial setbacks.
• God delivers me from satanic attacks.
• And to think about it, God has delivered Steve Roll from Steve Roll!

Too often, I have been my own worst enemy. I thank the Lord every day that He has rescued me from Satan’s lies, people’s false accusations and judgment, and my faith struggles and negative attitude.
Deliverance was important to the Lord Jesus Christ.
His first followers asked Him to teach them how to pray. Matthew 6:9-13 records what we call the Lord’s prayer.
“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

• It is significant that Jesus taught you and me to pray for deliverance from evil. Translations indicate the text should read deliver us from the evil one.

Evil from the evil one requires God’s delivering hand.
The evil one lies and deceives, attempting to instill fear in our hearts if we are not on guard to his strategies to stop us from walking by faith and trusting God for our lives. You and I know what it feels like to think we are up against a wall in life, with no apparent way out of our situation. Exit signs are out of sight.  An escape route is nowhere to be found.
King David of Israel, a man after God’s own heart, was overtaken by enemies and his personal failures (Psalm 40:11-12). I have prayed like he prayed when I have been overwhelmed by enemies that I needed delivered from. “Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; make haste, O Lord, to help me.” Psalm 40:13. You know what David is saying? Lord, I hope you will take pleasure in delivering me, and, by the way, would you please hurry up to help me?  
When it looks like it is all over and we will be defeated and destroyed, God comes with divine  power to deliver!
  God Our Deliverer

• God delivers for His glory and our good.
• God delivers when we cannot deliver ourselves
• God’s deliverance is always right on time.
• God’s deliverance is always thoroughly decisive.  
• When God delivers, men sit up and take notice.
• When God delivers His people, the devil and his demons tremble.
• God deserves our praise when He delivers us from evil.

Where would you and I be if we needed delivered and there was no one to deliver us?
Listen my friends, deliverance by men is a false deliverance. Psalms108:12 declares “Oh give us help against the adversary, for deliverance by man is in vain.” Men can do very little, if anything, to deliver us. But Almighty God can deliver anyone from anything! His rescue is real rescue!
Need delivered? Rescued?  With courageous and confident faith, call upon the One who delivers and rescues.
“I love Thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.” Psalm 18:1-3
A Word For Your Week: Depend on God’s deliverance when you need it.