Lead and Deliver
A few days ago, we talked about the name of God. His name has so many facets because his followers, all the way from Adam to us, called him by what they experienced from him. Today, I want to zoom in on God as our Rescuer.
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And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.
-Matthew 6:13 (NIV)
He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lord supported me. He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.
-Psalm 18:16-19 (NLT)
-Matthew 6:13 (NIV)
He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lord supported me. He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.
-Psalm 18:16-19 (NLT)
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I used to skim over many of the Psalms like this one because I thought they didn’t really apply to our situation in today’s world, but I have since learned how wrong I was. These words not only apply to physical enemies, but spiritual ones as well. Satan hates everyone who is loved by God. The stories of David’s struggles and spiritual failures are well documented. Spiritual battles have repercussions in the physical world. That was true for David. It is still true today for us.
That brings us the long way around to this final part of the Lord’s Prayer. Spiritual battles are too big for us to handle alone. We need God’s leadership when we find ourselves being tempted, and we need his deliverance when we face the evil one.
As our Rescuer, God leads us not into temptation but out of it. There is no way to avoid all temptation. Yes, we can definitely make better decisions that will help (aka, don’t do dumb things), but God strengthens our dependence upon him by leading us out of the temptations we do face. He helps us see it for what it is, and as we rely on his strength we can walk away. Alone, we are no match for the evil one. But the evil one is no match for God, our Rescuer, who delivers us. This prayer is a reminder of how God meets us in our greatest needs.
That brings us the long way around to this final part of the Lord’s Prayer. Spiritual battles are too big for us to handle alone. We need God’s leadership when we find ourselves being tempted, and we need his deliverance when we face the evil one.
As our Rescuer, God leads us not into temptation but out of it. There is no way to avoid all temptation. Yes, we can definitely make better decisions that will help (aka, don’t do dumb things), but God strengthens our dependence upon him by leading us out of the temptations we do face. He helps us see it for what it is, and as we rely on his strength we can walk away. Alone, we are no match for the evil one. But the evil one is no match for God, our Rescuer, who delivers us. This prayer is a reminder of how God meets us in our greatest needs.
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