God hasn't promised to deliver those who merely fret and worry, but those who cry unto Him in their troubles and afflictions. Child of God, are you burdened heavily right now? Do you feel cast down and forsaken by those whom you hold dear and love most? Are you in need of encouragement and kindness? Has confusion and discord robbed you of your spiritual strength? Are you tired and so unhappy that, at times, you think death might be your only way out? Now, listen, beloved, if such should be your condition, why don't you give up and surrender your problem to the Lord? Thousands upon thousands have been drawn near the gates of death, just as you are; yet, they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. Yes, praise God! "He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." It is true that "the righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles." Clear and comforting are the words of the Savior, "Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee." Wipe your eyes and listen, He who heard the groaning of the children of Israel, enslaved in Egypt, still hears the sighing of His suffering people. He will deliver you this very moment if you will surrender and believe His word. The Lord is very tender-hearted. He hasn't left you alone to suffer. The truth is, He actually is suffering with you. Did you know that? He suffered with ancient Israel. As the prophet said, "In all their affliction he was afflicted." It is a great consolation to know that we have a wonderful Savior to call upon, who is touched with the feelings of our infirmities, and who was in every way tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us, then, come with courage to the throne of grace, and receive mercy and strength in times of trouble.

Oh, think of the precious promise of our dear Lord, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Again we are told, "He shall deliver thee in six troubles. Yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee. In famine he shall redeem thee from death, and in war from the power of the sword. Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue. Neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh. At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh. Neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth" (Job 5:19-22). Don't wallow in the mire of your problem! "Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

Take, my friend, the prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for examples. Was not Jonah delivered from the whale's belly after he prayed to victory? If he had merely fretted about his situation, he would have been digested! Jonah testified, "I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me." And wasn't Daniel, who "kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God", kept safely all night in a den of lions? I can hear him, early the next morning, as he answered Darius, "O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me; forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me. And also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt."

God will do what He says He will do. Call on Him right now. He is listening for the cry of the righteous. I am sure you will soon see that your affliction, which comparatively has been but for a moment, has accomplished in you some good work, for which you may rightly thank God. Every unpleasant circumstance in our lives, in fact, is designed for us, individually, by our heavenly Father, to train us in the ways of His holiness. Of course, not all believers will submit to the discipline of the Lord, for we read, in Mark 4:17, of some who "have no root in themselves, and so endure for a time. Afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended." These are unfruitful vines which, eventually, are severed from Christ and "cast into the fire, and they are burned" (Jn.15:6).

No, child of God, you have not been in all this pain and sorrow alone. Those who think so become infected with bitterness, "and thereby many be defiled" (Heb.12:15). God's sympathetic suffering with His people was not finished at the time He spoke concerning Israel, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows." Nor was His compassion exhausted 2000 years ago as He watched the brutal crucifixion of His Son, Jesus. God is love, and love is compelled to suffer in the adversities, troubles, and distresses of those who are beloved. No true father could refuse to suffer when he knows his child is enduring pains or affliction; so, "magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together." We know that "many are the afflictions of the righteous", but it is also true that "the Lord delivereth him out of them all." The first and last impulse of the righteous is to cry out to God when trouble comes, knowing that he who, long ago, calmed the tempest with his command, "Peace, be still!" can bring peace today to any troubled soul.

May God help you, my burdened friend, to "cast all your care upon him, for he careth for you." No one who is looking for a shoulder mightier than his own to help carry the burdens of this life can afford to ignore the precious invitation of our Lord, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Reader, what does this rest mean to you? Can you not say, with the righteous of the ages, "In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me"?

There are many in the body of Christ who are sick, physically and spiritually, and who seem unable to receive their promised healing, either through prayer or through the elders of the congregation. Surely James was speaking to all who are in the body of Christ when he said, "Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the congregation, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him" (5:14-15).

Physical healing by faith in the power of God is available today to the congregation; yet, as we know, some among us do not possess this faith. Why? Because of spiritual weakness, of course. And to have the strength to overcome this weakness, the strength to believe God for healing, is a marvelous blessing indeed.

In order to possess this strength, one must come to know Strength Himself. Moses (Ex.15:2), David (Ps.18:1), Jeremiah (16:19), with every other wise man, looked to God to be their strength in times of trouble. Isaiah spoke for them all when he said, "the Lord Jehovah is my strength." It is by becoming conscious that our only real strength is God Himself that we receive faith for healing. Samuel told Saul, "the Strength of Israel will not lie"; therefore we must believe Him when He says, "I am the Lord that healeth thee."

David, after sinning with Uriah's wife, cried aloud, "My strength faileth because of mine iniquity" (Ps.31:10). He felt the separation from God that sin brings! Oh, my dear friend, let us walk holily with Christ, so that he may never have to say of us as he did concerning Israel, "I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nought."

Haven't we all, at some point, asked the question which David asked so long ago, "Thou art the God of my strength. Why dost thou cast me off? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?" Yet, we must always remember that it is God's will to give us strength to believe for our healing. It is God's will to give His strength for both body and soul to all believers, and He will do this for all His wise children, those who keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. He wills weakness upon none. Isaiah tells us why we are oppressed by the enemy. He says, "Because thou hast...not been mindful of the rock of thy strength" (17:10). When our minds are drawn away from God and His goodness, it is easy to doubt that He will do what He says He will do. But, oh, how blessed is the man who has learned the precious lesson of daily renewing his strength in the Lord!

Beloved, kneel before God right now, and ask Him to renew your strength. This is what you desire. This is what you must do! This is what the righteous have always done when they found themselves growing weak and oppressed. They did not fear telling God of their doubts. They confessed their weaknesses, and God delivered them out of them all, because they put their trust in Him. This is the cry to which God's ear is always open. And burdened saints have always found, in His presence, "grace to help in time of need."

After being restored in spirit, David sang, "The Lord is my strength and shield; my heart trusted in him and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song I will praise him." And again, "The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?" Once we ourselves are renewed in faith, we find that there arises a deep concern for the children of God everywhere. And we find ourselves praying for others as did David, when he, in the strength of the Lord, prayed, "Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance. Feed them also, and lift them up for ever" (Ps.28:9). Amen! And may God bless you and keep you healthy and happy in Jesus.