Daughter in Waiting Ministry

Is it wrong as a Christian to keep to oneself the work(s) of deliverance that God has done in your life?

I believe that our testimonies of deliverance shouldn’t be hidden in our hearts. I think it’s empowering to share them in order to build each other up in the faith. There’s something so relieving and encouraging when someone, who has struggled with what I’ve struggled with, speaks of how God has delivered them from that same struggle. I believe we have a duty to share our testimonies of God’s works of deliverance in our lives, but I also believe that we should be discerning on when to share it, how to share it, and whom to share it with.

The posture I’ve been encouraged to take is the same posture that David voiced in Psalm 40, in the ESV, titled ‘My Help and My Deliverer’.

“I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD. I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.“

Psalm 40: 9-10

Psalm 40 empowers me to know that it’s okay to share the truth of God’s work of deliverance in my life. I have nothing to be ashamed of. But, it also highlights that I have to have discernment on who to share it with as David says he shared his “in the great congregation”. Biblically, a great congregation signifies a group that gathers together for religious worship, discussion, or praise. In today’s term, it would be a church service, a bible study, or simply a gathering of believers. David is implying that he had a certain level of confidence and safety in knowing that this sharing of deliverance would be well-received so he boldly proclaimed it to those he knew could be strengthened by this proclamation of faith. Psalm 40 empowers me to declare the works of deliverance from God in my life because it’s taking something that I was once binded to and saying, Look what God has done. Look what I’ve been freed from because of the grace of God.

One example of this in scripture is the story of Naomi in the Book of Ruth. Her story is one you can always read about to not only see a work of deliverance from God in someone’s life but also the work of redemption and restoration. At the beginning of the book, Naomi has lost everything and even declares to be called “Mara” instead of Naomi in Ruth 1:20. She declares this because Naomi is a feminine name of Hebrew origin that means ‘pleasant’ and Mara means ‘bitter’. She’s in a depressive state where she feels like God has forsaken and abandoned her. By the end of her story, intertwined with Ruth’s story, we see the great work of redemption and deliverance that God did in her life. The women around Naomi were witnesses to this great work and even made a declaration to her at the end of the book.

“Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel!” He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age.”

Ruth 4:14-15

God promises deliverance for His people. He is well aware of what we struggle with individually and collectively. A good study of God’s work of deliverance is in the book of Exodus – I recommend reading Exodus 6 to get a better understanding of it. Deliverance strengthens the body of Christ and serves as a testimony for God’s mightiness to and around the world. To hide it is to lose sight of the redemptive work it can have on others.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp, and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 5:14-16

When God shines His light into our lives, we get to partner with Him and proclaim to the world what only He can do. So, here’s my light shining before you:

God delivered me from childhood trauma. God delivered me from years of insomnia and night terrors. In 2023, I was finally able to sleep consistently without having to have a light on. God delivered me from depression and anxiety. Both crippled me and kept me in a state of fear while demoralizing my soul and spirit for decades. God delivered me from excessive social drinking that was irresponsible. Society makes us believe that it is okay to drink all the time while our population continues to develop this unhealthy habit that is deteriorating our bodies. God delivered me from new age astrology such as tarot card reading, crystals, etc that is not of him. God delivered me from an unhealthy addiction to coffee. I only have at-most two cups a day now instead of four or five (this one is still a work in progress ;). God delivered me from binge eating, an unhealthy disorder I developed after a rough break-up. I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been mentally, spiritually, and physically all because of the grace of God.

My deliverance resulted in a knowing and a feeling that I was freed from what I had previously struggled with. Sometimes it’s immediate and sometimes it’s gradual. Other times, I have to actively claim my deliverance. My deliverance also empowers me to act in ways I otherwise wouldn’t have acted. With my childhood trauma, I no longer look at it with shame or guilt. Instead, I observe it from a lens of forgiveness and it doesn’t affect me emotionally or cause me to spiral into a deep state of sadness. I can look at it as simply an observation and not be affected by it emotionally. Another example of how deliverance looks like on my day-to-day walk as a Christian is this:

I used to have to drink multiple cups of coffee a day. Now, I feel a nudge from the Holy Spirit not to and I don’t even have the desire to drink so many cups of coffee. It doesn’t matter how strong the coffee cup I’m drinking may be. I rarely – if ever – get any boost of energy from drinking it these days and I’m drinking it more now out of habit and my love for the process of making it in the morning than my previous necessity for it. I used to have to drink three or four glasses with friends on a night out. Now, not only do I not have the desire to, I can also limit myself to just drinking one glass or stand on the truth of His word as God tells us in 1 Peter 5:8 to be sober-minded. I claim the word of God when I’m experiencing something in the negative that I know God has already delivered me from as a new creation in Christ. I rebuke the lies with the truth of His word and claim authority in Christ. For example, this is what I do if I’m having trouble sleeping now: I pray that the Holy Spirit empowers my mind and body in that moment to sleep peacefully and protects my dreams. I rebuke any feeling of uncertainty I may have in that moment and walk in the freedom God has already given me as stated in Galatians 5. Just recently, He reminded me of the scripture below when I was experiencing negative emotions from something that He had already delivered me from.

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

Galatians 5:1

It’s okay if God has delivered you from something that you are still finding yourself struggling with at times. His mercies are new every morning as Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us. Place it at the cross and get back up.

“For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity”

Proverbs 24:16

God doesn’t measure us by our failures. He is pleased when we can get back up. It will never be about our own strength, but what only He can do for and through us. That doesn’t mean we actively continue sinning or remain in a path of destruction that He’s already delivered us from. It does mean that we give ourselves the same grace He gives us when we have moments of weakness in our lives.

What has God delivered you from? Please share in the comments below! As Apostle Paul said, let us encourage each other in the faith. And as our Lord and Savior said, let us be the light!

Scripture (ESV translation) to meditate on this week:

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:9

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Hebrews 4:15-16

“Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”

Exodus 6:1

“For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you – that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.”

Romans 1:11-12

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 8:1

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever.”

Jude 1:24-25

“In him was life, and life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

John 1:4-5

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

John 10:10

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”

1 John 2:1-2