He is my Deliverer. {Julie Long}

I lived in Texas until I was around 13. We were in church Sunday mornings, Sunday nights, and Wednesday nights. I remember going to church camp and walking down the aisle to accept Christ as my Savior. I don’t remember what age I was. I must've been around 11. At 13, however, my life changed when my dad died of cancer. My dad meant everything to me. A year later, my mother thought it would be best to move to Michigan where her family lived. ​

I moved away from my church family and away from my best friends. My mom got remarried just a year after my dad died. I started drinking and doing drugs at 15 trying to numb everything. I just didn’t care anymore. Even though I would go to church sometimes, I never felt God was with me anymore since He took my dad. I was trying to find happiness through drugs and alcohol. I can remember being so drunk and seeing triple as I drove home. Every time I came home from either being drunk or high, I would thank God for getting me home. 

I always wanted a man like my dad, but I married someone I knew I shouldn’t. I ended up having three girls before finally getting divorced. I was still drinking and doing drugs but not as much. I worked for a company and had a chance to transfer to Indiana. I thought maybe there I could start over from my past and get my little girls in church. So, I transferred. About a year later, I rededicated my life to the Lord at a revival, got baptized, and then found a church that God led me to. 

I never knew why the Lord continued watching over me or why He kept me from having an accident that killed me or somebody else. But, God still had a purpose for me. My girls went to a little Christian school, and God let me meet a godly man just like I always wanted. We were married after about seven months. He had two boys and a girl, and I had three girls. Then, we had a little boy together. Our kids are grown now, and we have 18 grandchildren with another one on its way. 

We’ve been married for almost 34 years. God has been so good to me. Even though I wish I’d never gone through all the pain of losing my dad and doing what I did in the past, God had a purpose and a plan for my life. I couldn’t imagine not having everything He has given me. God is so, so good!

He is my Deliverer.

In the midst of our trials and tribulations, we have a faithful Deliverer who extends His hand to rescue us from the consequences of our bad choices and lead us to an abundant life. This Deliverer is Jesus Christ, our Savior, and Lord.

Psalm 34:17-19, says, "When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all." No matter how severe the consequences of our mistakes may seem when we turn to the Lord in repentance and seek His forgiveness, He listens and comes to our rescue.

Through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross we are forgiven.t Our Deliverer offers us a way out of bondage and gives us the gift of abundant life now and the promise of eternal life through faith in Him.

When we surrender to His Lordship and allow Him to guide our steps, we experience the transformation of our lives. 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." It is through His love and grace that He puts the broken pieces of our lives together and orchestrates a beautiful tapestry.
God's Word promises us an abundant life when we trust in Him. 

In John 10:10, Jesus says, "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." This abundant life is not free from challenges, but it is a life of purpose and fulfillment found in knowing and following Him.

Let us, therefore, lean on the faithfulness of our Deliverer, Jesus Christ. He is the One who forgives our sins, leads us to an abundant life, and restores us when we stumble. May we submit to His Lordship daily and find comfort in knowing that He is with us, guiding us through life's trials and triumphs.​