Psalm 34:19
Many are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him from them all.
Applying God’s word for today: We often believe that knowing God means there should never be problems in our lives. The world also raises questions about our challenges: if you have a loving God, why does He not stop these things from happening? The confusion arises because He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and yet allows the events of the world to unfold.
For believers, we face struggles with a world that rejects God and dislikes us because we trust in Him. We also contend with our sinful flesh, which works to tempt us into sin and aims to destroy our faith. As a result, we encounter many troubles. While God allows challenges to come our way, He also limits them, as He did with Job, and as David wrote, He also delivers us from all our challenges.
How do we know this for sure? The greatest challenge was our sin; we were condemned because of our sin, as Paul wrote to the Romans: “the wage of sin is death.” Yet, when we sin, He did not destroy the human race and start over, but He sent His Son to restore us all from our sins. Jesus lived the perfect life so that, by faith in Him, we are given His perfection. Then He died on the cross for us, taking our curse of sin with Him; He died an innocent death in our place. The Lord also delivers us from every trouble, but that does not mean they are removed, so we never face them.
In our challenges, we also realize how much we need our God and cling to Him. God has promised to always deliver us, so in the midst of your trials, hold God to His promise, then allow Him to deliver you according to His will. Keep in mind that your delivery may not look as you imagined it. Share the love God has for you with those who don’t know Him, and tell them how magnificent He is as He delivers you.
Dear Lord God,
We thank You for limiting all the troubles that come our way and providing a way out. You already know the problems we face and those waiting for us around the corner; please be with us in them all. For the troubles we face today, we pray for Your hand to be with us. May we fully rely on You to deliver us. Amen.
Written through Pastor Roger Emmons
While you may face many troubles, remember that you are not alone in them. God places people around us to help carry those burdens, and He has also promised to see believers through every one of them.