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It is very important to keep desiring God at all times. In good times, bad times, all times, we must keep desiring God.
The Israelites endured great suffering and enslavement in Egypt. They desired God to free them from their suffering. The bible further explains that “The Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.” (Exodus 1:12-14)
In their anguish, the Israelites cried out to God for deliverance. He heard them and sent Moses to deliver them. Exodus 2:25 says, “God saw the troubles of the Israelites and knew that He would soon help them.”
Similarly, you may be experiencing your own period of suffering—whether it’s sickness, financial distress, unemployment, spiritual attacks, marriage problems, or other challenges. You are desperately seeking God’s intervention through prayer, fasting, intercession, and other spiritual practices. You are desiring God to free you from your troubles.
God demonstrated His mighty power by bringing plagues upon Egypt, ultimately forcing Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. Even when Pharaoh pursued them, God drowned his army in the Red Sea, securing Israel’s freedom (Exodus 14:5-31). Just as God delivered the Israelites, He can deliver you from your troubles when you cry out to Him.
Why are you desiring God?
Consider what the Israelites truly wanted. Did they desire deliverance from slavery more than serving God? Similarly, what do you truly want? Do you desire deliverance from your current troubles more than serving God, being guided by Him, and living according to His Word?
Reflect for a moment: Is your desire for God driven solely by your need for deliverance, or do you genuinely seek a strong relationship with Him, regardless of your circumstances? Are you praying and fasting with the intention of returning to your old ways once delivered, or are you committed to a life of faithful service to God even after you have been delivered?
Deliverance is Not the Main Goal
Remember, deliverance is not the ultimate goal. Your desire for God should surpass your desire for deliverance. While God invites us to come to Him when we are weary and burdened, we should seek Him in all circumstances—good, bad, or worse. In Mathew 28:11, God says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
God wants more than just to deliver you; He desires a deep, ongoing relationship with you.
After being freed from slavery, the Israelites began to complain. Exodus 16:2-3 states, “Then the whole community of Israel began complaining. They complained to Moses and Aaron in the desert. They said, ‘It would have been better if the Lord had just killed us in the land of Egypt. At least we had plenty to eat. We had all the food we needed. But now you have brought us into this desert to make us die from hunger.’” Many Israelites turned back to sinful ways and worshipped idols (Exodus 32:1-6). If deliverance is your only goal, you risk turning away from God once your needs are met. You will most likely stop desiring God as you did when you desperately wanted to be delivered from your troubles, just like the Israelites did after God had freed them from slavery.
Why Does God Deliver Us?
Moses and Aaron went to Pharoah and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Let my people go so that they may hold a festival to my in the wilderness.’”. (Exodus 5:1). God delivered the Israelites from Egypt so that they can serve him. The purpose of deliverance is to enable us to serve and worship God.
When God delivers you from your troubles, your main goal must be to serve him. There are so many ways in which you can serve God. These include helping the needy, evangelism, encouraging others, leadership and so on. In everything that we do in the right way whether at work, home, church, community and so on, we are serving God. You should pray to God to provide guidance on how to serve him. Remember, the best away of serving God is by following his commands.
Deliverance should not be your main and only goal; God should be. God frees us from trials so we can give thanks, testify to His goodness, and serve Him—not so we can prioritize other things or revert to sinful ways.
Do not turn back, keep desiring God
When Jesus saved the adulterous woman from being stoned by the angry community, he instructed her, “Go now and leave your sin” (John 8:11). Never revert to your old sin ways when God delivers you.
Jesus healed an Invalid at the Pool of Bethesda as explained in John 5:14. “Later Jesus found in at the temple and said to him, ‘See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to You.’” This implied that the man’s sinful choices had led to his predicament and so Jesus warned him not to return to his old sinful ways or something worse may happen to him.
When God delivers you from demonic possession, do not return back to your old life that made you prone to demonic attack because that spirit find you empty, it will bring seven other spirits “More wicked than it self” and your final condition will be “worse than the first.” (Mathew 12: 43-45)
Your sinful lifestyle may have led to the troubles you are praying to for deliverance. When you revert back to those sinful choices, God’s deliverance will be wasted, and your condition may even be worse.
Our goal is to sin no more although we recognize that while we are in flesh, we will stumble. It is God’s desire that will live a holy life. We still sin but sin is no longer our lifestyle choice. And when we sin, we must come to God for forgiveness. God will never abandon us because of sin, he is always willing to accept and walk a journey with us.
If you desire deliverance more than God, you may not reach the promised land. The Israelites who desired deliverance over serving God perished in the desert. They received deliverance but missed the ultimate goal.
David, who experienced deliverance and victory, continually sought to know God more. In Psalm 119:10, David said, “I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.”
When you sin, remember God’s mercy and His readiness to welcome you back. When facing challenges, pray for deliverance, but let your main focus be serving God.
Never stop desiring God because He is our Provider, comforter, strength and shield.
ALSO READ: Faith Beyond Miracles: A deeper relationship with God
Reflecting Questions
- What do I want God to deliver me from?
- Why do I want God to deliver me?
- Is deliverance my only goal?
- How can I keep desiring God?
Action Steps
- Keep your desire for God growing in all circumstances.
Memory Verses
- Exodus 2:25: “God saw the troubles of the Israelites and knew that He would soon help them.”
- In Mathew 28:11: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
- Exodus 5:1: “The Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘Let my people go into the desert so they can have a festival to honor me.’”
- Psalm 119:10: “I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.”
- 2 Corinthians 3:17: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
Prayer
Dear God, You are a Strong and Mighty Tower. You are the Lord forever and the Rock Eternal. Forgive me for the times I have focused on worldly desires and pleasures. Forgive me for neglecting my relationship with You even after You delivered me from my troubles. Deliver me from my troubles and keep me in Your sight. Lord, I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. Amen.