My Deliverer

  

Prayer 

 O God, You are my God, O I bow down to worship you ! The King  

of kings, the Lord of lords! My soul exalts thee Oh Lord, you are 

the God of all creation. Please bless families during these 

challenging times. Help us to be steadfast in trusting you. Bless 

marriages and families. Help couples to guard their hearts and 

affections for one another. Give singles grace to resist temptation 

and stand firm in your sufficient grace. Loving Father, Thank you 

for being my Deliverer. In Jesus' name, Amen.

My Deliverer by Veronica Garrett 

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."  Daniel 3:16-18

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had refused to bow down to the golden statue. The king gave them one last chance to bow down and they responded by saying we don't need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.  In fact, they replied, if we are thrown into the furnace the God we serve can deliver us from it, He can deliver us through it or He can deliver us by it, but we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image of yours.  When I am in a bad situation I really want to be delivered from it but I know that my God can deliver me from it, through it, or by it.

Quite often we have the idea that geniune faith is hoping strongly toward the outcome we so desire.  It is almost as though we project our greatest desire upon God and demand that He comes through.  That is not the true essence of faith.  Faith doesn't demand an outcome it trust inspite of the outcome.  It is erroneous to think that people aren't healed simply because they don't believe hard enough.  In many cases their infirmity is a part of God's greater purpose.  He is glorified by it--His strength is made perfect in weakness. The apostle Paul wrote much of the New Testament and yet he suffered an infirmity.  Inspite of our greatest desire, true faith is believing that after we have asked for what we desire whatever God allows we will trust Him with the outcome for His greater purpose.  

When I say that He is my Deliverer I have to know that He can deliver me from a situation and allow me to avoid all the pain and struggle associated with it.  He miraculously snatches me from the midst of a great trial. At the same time I must understand that He can deliver me through it and allow me to experience hardship and great adversity to demonstrate His grace, His strength and His power. My times are always in His hands. And inspite of many teachings on healing when my time comes to enter the pearly gates and walk the streets of gold He can deliver me by whatever it is and bring me to Himself.  Glory to the finished work on calvary that death has no power over me! It is the last enemy that Christ will destroy.

No one ever asks to be placed in the fiery furnace but when God delivers you through something that is very challenging there is kingdom glory at stake. The king had the three men bound and thrown into the fiery furnace but then he saw four unbound men walking around in the fiery furnace.  When he called for the three men to come out of the furnace he was surprised by what he saw.  Not only did they come out, they came out without a singed hair, without a scorched robe, and without the smell of smoke.  God was glorified! In the end King Nebuchadnezzar praised their God and acknowledged that He had protected them.  He even promoted Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego. 

It is my natural human desire to avoid going through hardship or struggle.  And yet I know that many deepest spiritual deposits happen during the most challenging days. I'm grateful to God that when He deliver's you through a thing He is in the thick of it with you.  Not only has He delivered me from my sins and the penalty they deserve. My Deliverer is capable of delivering me from,through or by whatever life may bring. Glory to His Name!