The Lord Delivers

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all."

Psalm 34:19

Make no mistake about it, as a child of the Most High God you are guaranteed afflictions along this Christian journey… When you are walking upright, in honesty and blameless throughout this world (which are all characteristics of righteousness) you are assured to be persecuted and afflicted… There are none on this earth who are righteous; however, through the bloodshed of Jesus we can be clothed in righteousness and therefore walk in victory as oppose to darkness… I state this about righteousness because it is important to understand that when you face trials because of your desire to walk in righteousness you must remember that the attack isn’t’ against you but against the one you are clothed in… This is why the psalmist states that even though we are afflicted, “…the Lord delivereth him out of them all…” This battle is about the God you serve; remember this in the midst of your storm because it will help you to know that you are not alone and not fighting this battle within your own abilities… This Christian walk isn’t green pastures, it isn’t fields of orchards or streams of rivers and despite what you may want to believe, you must understand this so that you don’t find yourself susceptible to the attacks within your mind by the enemy… 

As we look to this day to celebrate love, let us remember the love of Christ and the afflictions He bore on our behalf… Today is a day that we associate with love and romance… We associate today with spending time with that special someone and enjoying the love that we have been blessed and fortunate to obtain… Let us remember the love that we have today, but let us more importantly remember the greatest display of love ever shown to mankind… The psalmist reminds us today that the afflictions of the righteous are many; affliction is suffering, burden, hardship or pain and today as we embrace love let us know that affliction is a very important key to that word we so easily throw around… I often tell people that love is a (n) action word and must be followed by actions in order to validate the notion that is being put forth out of your mouth... I don’t’ know about you, but the word of God has taught me the meaning of true love… When I say I love someone I am willing to suffer for them, I am willing to endure hardships and accept trials and tribulations… We, as children of God are called to endure the temptations of this world, we are called to suffer for the name of Christ in order to showcase the love and desire we have for Him… Remember that Christ said no greater love hath a man than this that he lay down his life for his friends…We are told in John 3:16, “…that God so loved the world…” After that we see Jesus enduring the afflictions of a whip, spit, punches and a cross… We see Jesus mocked, humiliated and pierced in His side; the love of God was on display through the affliction of that very night in which Christ was crucified… Know that love is not valid without suffering… 

True love is showcased in what you are willing to accept and/or overlook… I once heard a preacher say that when we love someone it isn’t a physical attraction, it means that we have come to a point where we say I know this persons faults and I am able to accept them and embrace them for who they are… Understanding love today is vital to our Christian growth and walk, if we are not willing to suffer for Christ, if we are not willing to endure the cross that is for us to bear than we are not really walking according to the will of God and are simply fooling ourselves… Know that there is not affliction that is insurmountable; there is no trial that you can’t overcome and no door that cannot be opened or closed by God… Notice that the psalmist says “Many are the afflictions of the righteous,” it is certain that trials will come knocking and storms will approach your door; however, it is also certain that “…the Lord delivereth him out of them all.” God knows that trials aren’t fun, His word tells us that in Hebrews 12:11 “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” Trials come to make you stronger; love is showcased through the trials you face… Today when you say you love someone know that afflictions speak the words that you can’t and love is shown in times of adversity… In times of adversity God is going through it with you, that’s the only way that you make it out every single time and this is the greatest example of love…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!