Deliverance

Psalms 34:19-
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

God never promises an easy life. That is problematic to many of us who think that being a child of God means an EZ pass in this world into eternity. In many ways, this exposes our finite perspective of God. In our sinful humanity, we regulate God to some sort of elderly genie who will grant us all our desires and see us out of our troublesome, weary situations.

I was talking to a young man the other night who just had a tough time with his father. This young man loves the Lord (the father is not really a walking believer), but in the midst of his father's heated words, the young man responded with a few choice words of his own. I recall the frustration in the young man's voice as he recounted to me the circumstances with his father. I remember him saying, "Pastor, I tried to act godly--even while he was yelling at me--I tried to think of Christ and how he would react...it was so hard." I'm not writing to serve up a "verdict" on who was right/wrong in this situation...the young man or his father. All I am saying tonight is...life is messy. Life is HARD.

Look at the verse tonight. The word used is "afflictions." Not one, but many.
Afflict: to distress so severely as to cause persistent suffering or anguish.

Yet, the verse is comforting. Immensely comforting. But here's the only way it will be comforting: if you BELIEVE. For followers of Jesus, the verse ends with a promise...the word "all." Though we will have many afflictions on earth, our God will deliver us out of them all.

So what should the young man continue doing with his father? Spew back hatred? Reserve hatred and bitterness? Christ said to forgive. Christ led by love. Christ died on a Roman cross. In fact, now even scientific research shows that "black holes" are burned into the brain by hatred, anger, bitterness and other negative emotions. Dr. David Amen, Dr. Marian Diamond, Dr. Caroline Leaf and other neuroscientists and biochemists describe the toxic chemical flood our bodies release into our brain when we think malicious thoughts. Microphotographs reveal these chemicals burn tunnel-like holes in branced nerve cells called dendrites. (For views of brains showing this damage, see www.amenclinic.com, and go to "Brain Disorder Research.") Dr. Leaf calls these burned places "emotional black holes." By contrast, positive thoughts actually create more dendrite nerve fibers in the brain. She says, "You can grow a new memory over the old memory." One of the elements she mentions in this healing process is forgiveness. -VOM Newsletter, September 2008.

This world is full of toxic thought patterns--to which, if we follow, we too will drown in a murky death. The dendrites of our minds can literally flourish as we read and soak in the Word of God, allowing it to stop the negative chemical bath and create a new network of dendrites that act as a super highway, bypassing, even shrinking the 'holes' of the past.

The Word of God is eternal. It is for OUR good. It is for our salvation. Rejoice...for joy is coming for those who FAITHFULLY hold on! He will deliver us out of it all--and that's a promise!