Deliverance from Distress

Sunday August 29, 2021

Dr. Richard L. Hamm


Last week I preached on the importance of exercising patience in your distress and not attempting to get ahead of God and His plan. This week I want to address what do you do, if your situation is so dire and urgent that there is no time to wait patiently? You need help and you need it now. What do you do? First, the follower of Christ reaches out to the loving kindness of God the Father as the Israelites did in their troubles. You are advised four times by the author that the Israelites “cried to the Lord in their trouble, and each time God saved and delivered them from their distress” (107:6, 13, 19, 28). The psalmist motivates you to praise God by portraying how He delivered His people out of the wilderness, broke the bonds of prisoners, restored the sick, showed His power to mariners in the sea, and providentially governs nature and human affairs. God and His power is not bound in any way, “For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil 2:13). Everything that happens in the life of the believer is for a reason. It is extremely important that you understand what God is doing in you and why He is allowing it to happen. God will help you in your distress and will lead you to deliverance and victory. I want to highlight verses 19-21 and remind you how necessary and powerful the Sacred Scriptures––God’s Holy Word is for your life.