As I read Psalm 34, I noticed a recurring theme. Take a look at these four verses:

Verse 4
I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me. He freed me from all my fears. (NLT)
Verse 6
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. (AMP)
Verse 17
The Lord hears His people when they call to Him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. (NLT)
Verse 19
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. (NASB)

Do you see it?  Freedom, salvation, rescue, deliverance…that’s the theme I saw.  But “who” is our Deliverer and from “what” are we being freed?  I love the use of the word “afflictions” in the NASB version of verse 19. Other translations use the words “troubles, adversities, and evils.”   ‘Afflictions’ encompasses our fears, our troubles, our desperation, our helplessness, our brokenness our wounds, our pains. Every trial, every struggle, every adversary and enemy is bound up in the word affliction. That is “what” we are being rescued from—our afflictions. From the small annoying molehills we face daily to the gigantic, seemingly immovable, mountains of tragedy and despair.

“Who” rescues us and saves us from these afflictions?  The Lord is our Deliverer.  The Lord hears our cries, listens to our prayers when we seek Him. Let’s face it, on our own, we are often incapable of finding our way out of a cardboard box.  Right now I am in the midst of a struggle.  In the grand scheme of things, it is a molehill kind of struggle.  But it has left me feeling bereft and abandoned.  I cannot find my own way out of that box.  In fact, at times it seems I have placed the box over my head and am encased by it!  Yet, Psalm 34:2 says if I “boast only in the Lord” then even in my helplessness I can take heart.  Doesn’t it make your heart happy that the Lord promises to hear our cries and our prayers?  He alone can provide deliverance from our afflictions.  Tony Evans sums it up this way:

“Prayer is the hand of faith that transfers the promises of God into the realities of life.”

All we need to do is call His name to put it into motion.

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Father, we thank You for always being there when we seek You, for hearing the cries of our hearts. You alone are our Deliverer. Our hope and salvation comes from You. You have freed us from every fear, every trouble, every affliction and we are eternally grateful. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen—so be it.