GOD is mighty to save! At a time men are horror-struck and are at death’s door; when all human efforts and help fail; and when all hopes and chances of survival are remote only God Almighty through Jesus Christ our Redeemer can come to the rescue and deliver the dying with His mighty hand. Yes, in man’s extremity God performs His wonders!
Instances
The Holy Bible abounds with inspiring and fascinating accounts of the marvelous things God did in ancient times to deliver His faithful worshippers from evil. An understanding of such acts of God can only but inspire true Christians to put their whole trust in the Lord.
Noah and his family of seven were delivered when God destroyed the ungodly with a great flood in the days of Noah. (Genesis 6: 5-8) Similarly, when the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha were destroyed by the Lord’s angels, Lot was saved. (2 Peter 2: 5-8) Jesus Christ made reference to the days of Noah and of Lot, and showed that those acts of God were typical of what is going to happen when Jehovah, the Lord of hosts, \\ill bring iniquity to an end in these last days of the present evil world- in which we are living. (Luke 17:26 – 30) The Most High delivered the children of Israel from their oppressors in Egypt (Acts 7: 30-36) and how their enemies who pursued them were drowned in the sea. – Exodus 15: 1-13.
One of the most striking instances of God’s wonderful deliverance He gave His people in the days of old is that of Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah whom the Babylonians named Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, respectively. Because they were faithful to the Almighty God and refused to worship the golden image of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, they were bundled up and cast into a fiery furnace or great fire. The furnace was so terribly hot that the flame of the fire killed the’ men who violently threw them into it. Yet God delivered the three faithful Jews at last. They came out of the fire un- scathed or unburnt; the king and his officers saw these ” these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.”!- Read Daniel 3: 1-29.
In the days of the apostles, God also showed Himself in their favour and delivered them from troubles because of their faith in Him and for doing His will. When they were imprisoned, God through His angel gave them deliverance miraculously. (Acts 5: 17-29) In the same way Peter the apostle was again delivered from Herod’s prison by an angel of the Lord. He himself was amazed as to how the locks or chains fell off his hands and how he was led out of all the wards in spite of all the security measures and vigilance of the keepers; and even the iron gate opened to them of its own accord.(Acts 12: 5-10) When Peter came to himself, he said: “And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.” -Acts 12: 11.
There are also evidences of God’s favour among those who trust in Him in these our days, and He does save or deliver them from troubles. Indeed, deliverance is of the Lord by His grace. – Psalm 33: 16-19; 46: 1-3.
Last Days
In so far as the devil is concerned he wants to destroy all the souls of God in every part of the world. He was responsible for the World Wars and all other troubles that are still ravaging mankind because he is aware of the fact that the time God will destroy him and all evils from this earth is now fast approaching. This was indicated by a voice in heaven when Satan and his wicked angels were cast out of it before the First World War as clearly stated in the Scripture. Said the voice: “… Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. ” – Revelations 12: 12.
The Innocent Killed
We must point out quite clearly that those who die during wars, natural disasters, pandemics and other similar circumstances in various parts of the world did not suffer that fate just because they were the worst sinners. There were many among them who were innocent people and who had godly dispositions. ” The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.” – Isaiah 57:1.
It is wrong to judge the sins of men by their suffering in this world of inequalities. “All things have I seen in the days of my vanity,” said King Solomon, “there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.” (Ecclesiastes 7: 15) Luke’s account in regard to what Christ said concerning certain people who, through oppression, were killed by Pilate for sacrifice and others who died by accident, throws more ray of light on this point. – Luke 13: 1-5.
Grace
Well, those of us who are living must know for certain that it is not because we are holy or righteous that we have survived various troubles. It is by God’s grace for which we should be thankful. However, the grace is given to the end that we should fear God by practicing His righteousness. The deliverance of God is meant for th6se who love to do His will and who trust in Him. The Psalmist said: “The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.”- Psalm 34: 17-19;. 91: 1-10; Proverbs 18: 10.
There is need for people who love righteousness, therefore, to affiliate themselves to the Church of Christ anywhere in the world where the saving gospel is preached WITHOUT ADULTERATION so as to serve the Lord in truth and be confident of His deliverance. When Such ones who do His will cry to Him in time of trouble, He will surely hear and save them. As it is written: “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered.” – Joel 2: 32; Romans 10: 13-15; Matthew 7: 21.
But to the godly who worship the Most High in truth the gate of salvation is ever open. As it is written in Isaiah 26: 2-4, to wit: “Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LOR D JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.”