Desiring Deliverance

“In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and He heard me.  Deliver my soul, O LORD” (Psalm 120:1,2).  “Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler” (Proverbs 6:5).  “I will rise now… I will seek Him whom my soul loveth: I sought Him… I found Him whom my soul loveth: I held Him, and would not let Him go” (Song of Solomon 3:2-4).  “We should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:  who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us” (1 Corinthians 1:9,10). 

Misguided quotes of long tradition

May fill the volumes on our shelves

With sayings filled with self-ambition,

Like “God helps those who help themselves.”

Our Lord alone delivers us;

We could not “help” Him die or rise, 

But through Him we’re victorious,

And when we trust Him, we are wise. 

Yet Scripture tells us in this sense

That we ourselves must take an action:

We must desire His defense,

Or be defeated by distraction.

The hunter comes:  be as the roe!

The fowler lurks:  be as the bird! 

Escape to Christ!  Arise and go

To hide in Him and trust His Word.

So let us rise up now and seek

To be delivered by His hand,

Then let us hear what He will speak,

Obeying what He will command.  

Thus finding Him whom now we love

Because loved us first and best,

We are delivered from above,

And thus we find in Him our rest.

Our help is in the Lord alone;

In Christ salvation is complete.

How clearly He has made this known!

Our confidence in Him is sweet.  

O Lord, how helpless we would be

If You had never fought our strife!

Your great salvation was not free:

You purchased it with Your own life.

We thank You, Lord, for Your salvation,

For past deliverance, present too,

And for our future expectation

That we shall ever be with You.