DELIVERANCE HE AFFORDS TO ALL..Part 5

When God decided to deliver the people of Israel from bondage and oppression under Pharaoh He groomed Moses for the job. "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians ." (Exodus 3:7-8) Has it ever crossed your mind that God is concerned about your welfare? Have you dared to think He has abandoned you in your misery and distress for good? Then think again. Help is on its way so that His name may be glorified.

After God heard the cry of His people Israel He made a move. He sent Moses who by the way could not go in his own strength. He had made a previous attempt that failed. His own intelligence and prowess or strength could not sustain him in such an ordeal. The Lord was with him. "For I will be with you." (Exodus 3:12) Jehovah had assured him. Have you been or are you suffering in silence? Quit that stance; cry to the Lord. Pray to God for his divine intervention - that you may obtain release. 

God in wanting to assure the Israelites of His concern asked Moses to convey this to the Israelites: "I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment." (Exodus 6:6)

Deliverance of the people of Israel was one big duel for Moses and Aaron against Pharaoh as the latter put up resistance, only to give in after repeated defeat. He was no match for the God of Moses, because when He finally sent the tenth plague that would kill all their firstborns, Pharaoh had to bow. He quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and ordered: "Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested." (Exodus 12: 31-32)  

No matter how long the suffering, rest-assured that help is on its way. The Israelites were in bondage for 430 years but the Lord delivered them from it all. Is anything too hard for him to accomplish? "I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God." (Isaiah 45.5)

The Israelites left Egypt victorious and free in spite of all of Pharaoh's gimmicks to hinder their release. God had the final say by breaking down single-handed Pharaoh's resistance to the freedom of the Israelites. Whatever is trying to hold you back in a bid to deny you from entering your promised land will be crushed in Jesus' name. Having been that long in bondage, the Israelites did not think God was able to accomplish such a feat. ".but they did not listen to him (Moses) because of their discouragement and cruel bondage." (Exodus 6.9)

That is the mood Satan would put you in to deprive you of your well-deserved victory and rejoicing. Do not let him. That rescue operation has become the greatest deliverance ever, because it involved a total of 600.000 men on foot, not counting the women and children.  (Exodus 12:37)

In the Old Testament account of God's deliverance we would like to underscore that of Lot, Abraham's nephew. Sodom and Gomorrah had been overtaken by sin and immorality. "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know." (Genesis 18:20-21) Abraham pleaded with God on their behalf to stay His hand if there were at least ten righteous people living in the twin cities. But even that minimum requirement could not be met. Just as God was about to rain down 'burning sulphur out of heaven' on Sodom and Gomorrah however, Lot and his family were whisked off by two angels. "Hurry! Take your wife and your daughters who are here or you will be swept away when the city is punished:" (Genesis 19:15) 

"Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away." (Genesis 19:17) Unfortunately, Lot's sons-in-law did not make it because they thought it was a joke. Lot's wife did not make it either, because she looked back 'and became a pillar of salt.' (Genesis 19:26)

Deliverance is up for grabs but some people like Lot's sons-in-law do not take it seriously and take it for a joke; others may still want to cling to their earthly possessions and would want to change their minds like Lot's wife did. You may be the loser for it. Our lives are worth more that our belongings and the time has come for us to heed God's warnings seriously. If God had not remembered Abraham, Lot would have been part of the statistics himself.

Another spectacular deliverance occurred in the case of Daniel. He had become an object of envy for the nationals in a kingdom where he was not only a foreigner but had risen to high office over the locals. "Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole region." (Daniel 6:3) That had led to a lot of envy and jealousy among his mates. It did not stop at that. They plotted against him so that eventually he might be discredited before the king. The plan worked up to the point when he was cast into the den of lions to be devoured by them. What a gruesome way to get rid of one's enemies?

To their utter amazement the lions did not devour Daniel. The king the following morning had come to enquire about the fate of Daniel hoping the lions would have devoured him; but Daniel who was still alive, responded to the king's question regarding what had transpired. "My God sent His angel and He shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in His sight. Nor have I done any wrong before you, O king." (Daniel 6:22) The king asked for Daniel to be released. When he emerged ".no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God." (Daniel 6:23)

What a miraculous deliverance of Daniel that must have been by the hand of the almighty God! Daniel had lived a righteous life and God had fought for him. "I, the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." (Jeremiah 17:10)