“Often, before we can be delivered to something, we have to be delivered from something.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – April 5, 2022
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us . . . Ephesians 3:20
Perhaps there have been times in your life when you wonder why God has allowed trials to knock on your door and you can’t imagine what goodness could be on the other side of your pain. Be encouraged! What you may not realize is that your greatest trials can be followed by your greatest blessings. This is because God must often prepare us for His gifts before we can experience them.
For example, in the Old Testament, each of the plagues represented an Egyptian god. And, when God drove out each of the plagues, he was saying to His people “I am more powerful than your Egyptian gods.” He wanted all of their hearts; He wanted them to obey Him, and He wanted to ready them for what was to come. (Exodus 7-14)
According to Berean-to-Berean.com the purpose of the ten plagues was to “make known that Israel’s God is the true God and reigns over all people. The ten plagues are a direct attack against the Egyptian gods.”
God could have kept the plagues from the Israelites. But in doing so, the people would have remained enslaved to false beliefs and false gods that would give them nothing and who couldn’t love them. Often, before we can be delivered to something, we must be delivered from something.
Before the Israelites could be ready for the next blessings God wanted to give them, before they could inherit the land God had promised, He had to remove idols from their hearts and false gods from their midst.
This is how it can often be in our lives: our greatest blessings can follow our greatest trials. And without trials, we would not be ready or prepared for the new gifts God wants to give us. The Lord must give us His perspective and that may only happen through trouble.
Trials can shape our perspectives about what’s important, humble us, and cause us to look up to Him who alone is enough. Through the painful—but often necessary—trials of life, we discover in new and fresh ways that Christ is enough and is greater and more important than anything or anyone in our lives. Like the Israelites, we find that He alone is God and that He is all we need.
“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10).
Prayer
Lord, help me to see that when you allow trouble in my life, it’s your way of drawing me to yourself. It’s your way to purify my heart and give me the very best gift: you. I praise you that you will never allow any trouble in my life without reason. Amen.
Application
Do you need to reframe a current trial to see how God is using it to bless you?
Related Reading
3 John 1:2; Philippians 1:7; James 1:17
Worship Resource
North Point Worship: Deliverer
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