My God, You Always Deliver

I would feel the fear begin to settle in on Tuesday morning following a phone call from my daughter living over 1,500 miles away in northern, California.  I could hear it in her voice, “Mom, I’m sick.”  And my momma heart would sink.

And in temptation to panic, I would go to the scriptures to find comfort.

Second Timothy chapter 4, verse 18… in the NLT says this, “Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into His kingdom.”

The KJV says it this way, “And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom.”

The word “deliver” here is interesting.  The meaning of the word is this = to carry and turn over to intended recipients; to provide a delivery service; transfer, redeem, rescue, to extract something.

And then I read it in my commentary that these strong words from our beloved Paul do not mean “exemption from the trial”, … and not even, “escape from the uttermost severity of it.”  It goes on to say that, “‘He shall deliver me from every evil work’, not because the sword will not fall upon my neck” (remember, Paul would soon suffer martyrdom), “but because, when it does, it will not part me from my Christ.”  And that, “‘He shall deliver me from every evil work’, not because I shall not taste the bitterness of the cup that is commended to my lips” (ahh, yes, Jesus did this!), “but because in the very act of drinking the most nauseous potion I shall take it as a cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.” 

THAT is deliverance.
THAT is our GOOD GOOD gracious God delivering us from all evil.
Carrying us.
Turning us over to Him… our intended recipient.
Providing a delivery service straight to Him.
Transferring us from what was intended to bring us harm.
Redeeming us.
Rescuing us.
Extracting us from the evil that was designed to break us.

He is with us, friends.

He shall deliver us.  Not because we won’t be “shipwrecked” on the journey (Acts 27)…we might be… “But take courage!  None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down.”  (Acts 27:22)

He is a GOOD Father.
And my focus must remain on Him as my Deliver.