Psalm 50:15 – "and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."
Sean looked up in terror. He had only stopped to talk to a friend he met for just a moment, letting go of his son’s hand to gesture as he spoke. In what seemed just a minute, Sean’s son Micah was nowhere to be found. The crush of holiday shoppers at the mega-mall was overwhelming. It was loud with constant commotion, and there was no way, thought Sean, he would ever find his boy in all that.
He immediately and frantically started calling out Micah’s name, walking in and out of pockets of people, trying to see if he could find his son. He became emotional, imagining how frightened the 5 year old must be, afraid of what could happen. Would somebody take him away? Would he be on the 5 o’clock news? Why didn’t he just listen to his dad and stay right there? How would he ever explain this to his wife? Sean found a security guard and impatiently explained what happened, begging for help to find Micah.
Ten minutes passed, and still no sign of the boy. While the guard squawked on his walkie to get help to watch for the boy, Sean took a minute to stand in a quiet spot to just pray. He just closed his eyes, his fists clenched at his sides, and spoke with God- a simple request to keep his boy safe until he could be found. A tear began to roll down Sean’s cheek as he faced a wall. Nobody would have known that he was there talking to God.
Ten More Minutes.
There was still no sign. The guard asked Sean to stay where he was, and the security team fanned out on the floor to search, looking in stores, bathrooms, and hallways. A few minutes later, what was really an emotional eternity, the first guard brought the boy to his father. You could even say that Micah was delivered to his father that day. Micah was found in the candy store. Sean hugged his son, said a prayer of thanks that he was back safely, scolded him and the two headed home, ending their Christmas shopping trip early.
God promises he will deliver us. Micah was delivered out of harm’s way and back into the safety of his father’s arms. In the Greek Language, the word deliver means "to give one to someone as his own- as an object of his saving care; to give one to someone to whom he already belonged."
While we are lost, clamoring through life for a glimpse of the divine, Jesus Christ died on the cross to deliver us. Luther said Jesus delivers us from sin, death, and the devil. Even more powerful is who it is Jesus delivers us to. In faith, by the cross, we are given to our heavenly Father as His own, as the objects of His saving care. Really, Jesus delivers us back to God- to whom we already belonged.
During those difficult times in life, those times that can seem like a spiritual and emotional eternity, we can take great comfort and solace in God’s promise of deliverance. Even in the midst of the most troubling times, let our hearts not be troubled. We can call on God in the day of trouble because already we know we are God’s. It is to Him we belong and there is great peace and safety in the arms of our Heavenly Father.
