David prayed, “My times are in thy hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.” (Ps. 31:15) Also, “Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence.” (Ps. 27:12) Jesus taught us to pray, “Deliver us from evil.” (Matt. 6:13)
If we want to be delivered from a difficult experience, first we need to ask ourselves why we want to escape it and what might the Lord be trying to teach us by this experience. Are we learning the lessons HE wants us to learn? Are we just wanting our own way? Are we wanting to be in control of the situation and other people, instead of letting God be in control?
God provides his children with the strength to endure difficult experiences: “ No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.“ (1 Cor. 10:13) Every trial, every persecution, every difficulty of life, permitted to come upon those who have dedicated their lives to God, is intended to prove them, to test their love, to see whether or not their characters are fixed, rooted and grounded in righteousness. When difficult experiences come, we should say, “If by these little trials the Lord is proving my love and devotion to Him, then, however small they may be or however important, I will diligently use them as favorable opportunities to demonstrate to my Lord the fullness of my love and devotion to Him and His cause.” (Please see James 1:12.)
Many scriptures talk about deliverance. Some pertain to a particular individual, some are more general. However, deliverance from a specific experience or our final deliverance into the Kingdom depends upon our heart condition. Have we learned the lesson from the experience? Have we grown into the image of Christ? Luke 21:28 says, “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift your heads, because your redemption (deliverance) is drawing near.” God promises to deliver his faithful spiritual children from the time of trouble that will close this age of human history. Then mankind will be delivered from the “prison house” of death (Isa. 42:7; 49:9) and restored to health and perfection, “about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. “ (Acts 3:21) “Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb will shout for joy” (Isa. 35:6) when his Kingdom is established upon this earth. “Then they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up sword against nation, and they will learn war no more.” (Micah 4:3)
