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Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. Psalm 34:19

Let me clear something up right now, just because we’re Christians doesn’t mean we live on a glory cloud in a protective bubble. No, this verse clearly states that we will have MANY afflictions.

Dictionary.com defines the word, afflictions as; mishap, trouble, tribulation, calamity, catastrophe, disaster, adversity, misfortune, trial. May refer to an event or circumstance that is hard to bear. Isn’t that interesting? I don’t know about you, but I can relate to that!

I could spend all day on the first part of that verse. I’m sure we all have stories this year about ‘afflictions’ we’ve faced. But that’s not the reason for this post. This is about the other side of the ‘but’. “But the Lord delivers him out of them all!”

Not part way, 1/2 way or almost way but ALL THE WAY! Our problem is we tend to keep our eyes on the problem and amplify it’s impossibilities instead of fixing our gaze on the Lord who delivers.

I hear the Father saying, “Come up higher! Check this out! This is where you are now, but this is where I see you. Focus on your future. Do you see it? Do you?” Let hope rise up now. I know someone who will never fail you, never leave you, never!

He wants you to rest in His finished work on the cross. When He cried out, “It is finished!” it wasn’t to say, I’m dying, no, He cried out that the ultimate sacrifice was finished. He redeemed you right at that moment, past, present and future sins forgiven. He didn’t leave it at that, He added all sickness, disease, poverty, anything and everything you will need, finished.

He came that you would have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). Don’t look back, look ahead. Follow hard after your Redeemer. Glance at the problem, focus on Jesus.

Until Tomorrow,

Sandy G