Does God Always Deliver

Psalm 34:18 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

I have read this verse a lot, even recited it in prayer many times and yet, even recently I would wonder why did such and such happen and why didn’t God stop this from happening?  Then I would get angry and get discouraged and stop praying. It wasn’t until recently that I learned there are different types of deliverance not just the Red Sea experience. 

Sometimes He calms the Storm

Sometimes He calms His Child

Transcript

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Hi everybody, and thanks for tuning in to Unfiltered with Jesse B. As I'm recording this, the sky is looking a little nefarious. Looks like it might storm at any moment. In fact, we are under a tornado watch with strong storms expected throughout the night. If you live in the Midwest, you know that Midwest weather can be very unpredictable any time of the year, especially in the spring months. So I always look for lessons and things, and I have to confess that every time there is a storm in my mind, I start singing the chorus of a Scott Crapaine song that was popular in the 90s titled Sometimes He Calms the Storm. So to spare you from my singing, I'll just go ahead and read the chorus. Sometimes he calms the storm with a whispered peace be still. And he can settle any sea, but it doesn't mean he will. Sometimes he holds us close and lets the wind and waves go wild. Sometimes he calms the storm, and other times he calms his child. So life like Midwestern weather can be very unpredictable, that can change in an instant without warning. And it's during those times that we pray and it feels like our prayers are not getting answered. And what's frustrating is knowing that God could have changed the situation, he could have prevented it. But yet here you sit with that report from the doctor or that notice of company restructuring that has cost you a job. Maybe the vehicle, the only vehicle you had, was totaled in an instant due to someone else's negligence. Or it could be the one person you thought you could trust the most turned on you. Psalms 34, 19 tells us, many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. Now this verse is often quoted for those that are in the midst of turmoil or crisis. And while this verse is true, it is important to remember that there are different types of deliverance. There's physical deliverance as seen in Exodus 14.14, where God rescued people from danger, such as the Israelites exodus from Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea. Another example is Daniel in the lion's den, where God protected him from harm, and that is noted in Daniel 6.22. And then we have spiritual deliverance, which is freedom from oppression, which transforms the heart, breaks ungodly patterns, and provides a new identity in Christ, as stated in Romans 6 1 through 7, Colossians 1.13, and Luke 4.18. There's deliverance from enemies where God provided deliverance from adversaries or oppressive forces, forces, such as David defeating Goliath with God's help in 1 Samuel chapter 17. And the Red Sea parting can definitely fit into this as well as other examples throughout the Bible. There's also deliverance from demonic possession as recorded in Mark 5, 1 through 20, Luke 8, 26 through 39, and Matthew 8, 34 through 39. While we might pray for our own Red Sea experience, which there may be times when that happens, but not always. It doesn't mean that God is not with us, nor does it mean he isn't attentive to our cries or refusing to answer prayer. It's just that our way and God's ways aren't always the same. And it doesn't make those comforting psalms any less true or any scripture in the Bible any less true, but it does reinforce the fact that God is sovereign, all powerful, he loves his children and promises to never leave us nor forsake us, as recorded in Hebrews 13 5. Sometimes he calms the storm. Sometimes he lets the storm rage and calms his child. Thanks for listening. Love you guys. Good night.