Deliverance

Psalms 34:19-22 ESV
(19) Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
(20) He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.
(21) Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
(22) The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

If all we had was verse 19 then I might be tempted to buy into the prosperity gospel. However, as this passage continues I see that it does not mean quite what some would have us think this means. Yes, the Lord will deliver His people from their afflictions, which will be many. How will He do it though? Will He deliver us here and now?

He might, but that is not what this passage tells me. Verses 21 and 22 tell me that this has an eternal perspective. Our hope is not for deliverance in the here and now, but in the future. We don't have to worry about our ultimate destination because of the assurance this passage gives us.

As I learned this past weekend, some temporary discomfort is not that difficult to bear if we can see a future payoff. I think the Christian life is all about the future payoff.