“Is God able to deliver me?”

The question haunted me. I had fallen to yet another temptation the night before, and for some reason I could not bring myself to believe the answer I knew to be true. I knew it in my head. I’ve grown up singing the chorus “He is able to deliver thee” all my life, but now that it really mattered I could not think of a single Scripture to back it up! “Surely I should know a verse that has an answer to this,” I thought.

In frustration I picked up my Bible to start reading for the morning. But instead of the regular passage something inside of me prompted me to read the Psalm of the day. Turning to Psalm 18, I was shocked by the title: “A Psalm of Deliverance.” My eyes grew with amazement as I began reading through the chapter. “I will love thee, O Lord my Strength. The Lord is my Rock, and my Fortress, and my Deliverer.” (v. 1-2) “He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.” (v. 17) “Great deliverance giveth He to His king; and sheweth mercy to His anointed.” (v. 50)

Stopping in my tracks and turning to “lift up my eyes on high,” the Lord spoke to me in a way I will never forget. “Daniel, you are free!” Whether it is an unconquerable habit, a bloody conflict of spiritual warfare, extreme persecution in an uncertain future, or my very own pride and selfishness, I have His promise that He has delivered me. While this obviously doesn’t mean there will not be an ongoing daily battle, it changes the entire nature of the conflict. Instead of fighting to reach a position of victory, I can rest in the victory Christ has already given to bring every aspect of my life in submission to Him.

Then I came to verse 19. Why did God do this? “He delivered me, because He delighted in me.” Wait, God delights in me? Yes! He is calling you by name. He is strong in power. He cannot fail. He is able to deliver thee!

“Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.” (Isaiah 40:26) 

-Daniel Staddon