December 13
Micah 3-4
Psalm 140:6-13
Proverbs 29:20-21
Revelation 7
Deliverer
“I say to the Lord, ‘You are my God.’ Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy. Sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer, You shield my head in the day of battle. I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. Surely the righteous will praise Your name, and the upright will live in Your presence.”
Psalm 140:6-7, 12-13 NIV
Let’s face it. We need a deliverer. We need someone to ride in on a white horse, sweep us up and carry us away from the pain and heartache of this world. Jesus is our deliverer. In every situation we face, He is the only One who can help us. He is our source of hope. One day He will appear in the sky, rescue us, and take us to be with Him. In the meantime, there are many practical ways in which we can experience His deliverance in our daily lives.
1. Jesus delivers us from the power of Satan and his demonic forces. There is a battle that rages all around us between the spiritual forces in the Heavenly realm. Satan is a real and powerful enemy who is prowling around seeking to destroy us. He does not want us to be effective in our spiritual lives and he will do anything he can to weaken our faith and keep us from telling others about Jesus. Thankfully, “the One who is in me is greater than the one who is in the world.” I John 4:4 (NIV) Satan has no power over me because the Holy Spirit who lives in me can stand firm against anything he throws at me.
2. Jesus delivers us from temptation. “God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” I Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)
3. Jesus delivers us from fear. Many people today are paralyzed by fear. We do not have to live in fear because He is with us. We are not alone. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
4. Jesus delivers us from anxiety and worry. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) Not only will He take away our fear, but He replaces it with peace.
5. Jesus delivers us in persecution. We do not experience physical persecution in America, but believers all over the world face it daily. We may face ridicule, rejection or hate because of our faith. He may not remove the persecution, but He will give us the strength to endure it and to glorify Him in it.
6. Jesus delivers us from the bondage of sin. Jesus conquered sin and death when He rose from the dead. When we accepted Jesus as our Savior, we were set free from the power of sin in our lives. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1 (NIV)
7. Jesus delivers us from physical danger. There are examples in the Bible where God delivered people from physical danger. (Daniel in the lion’s den, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace, David and Goliath, David running from Saul, Paul in prison, shipwrecked, etc.) Just as He rescued people in biblical times from dangers, there are countless examples of when He delivered people out of danger, and we have no idea how many times He has protected us from danger that we weren’t even aware of.
8. Jesus delivers us from the chains that bind us (addiction, selfishness, oppression). You don’t have to be locked in physical chains to be in bondage. Drugs, alcohol, pornography, etc. are powerful chains that prevent people from living the life God has planned for them, but nothing is too powerful for God to overcome.
9. Jesus delivers us from illness (physical, mental, emotional). He is the great physician. He knows our needs and He can heal us fully and completely. Sometimes He does that through doctors and medical resources, sometimes He provides a miracle at just the right time, and sometimes we are healed when we enter Heaven and see Him face to face, but we can be assured that He will provide complete healing.
10. Jesus delivers us from death. Everyone who has accepted Jesus into their hearts has been brought from death to life. We were dead in our sin, and we have been made alive in Christ. We have been given eternal life. The moment we take our last breath on Earth, we will be in His presence in Heaven. Our life does not come to an end, it continues in our eternal home.
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