7 Ways the Lord Can Deliver You

By David A. Edwards

Church Magazines

Learn about seven of the many ways the Lord can deliver us from our daily challenges.

When you face a challenge that doesn’t seem to have a solution, what do you do?

When the ancient Israelites were in Egypt, they faced huge hardships. They were slaves. They were forced to do hard labor. They had no hope for a better life. So what did they do? “They cried … unto God” for help (Exodus 2:23).

And the Lord answered. He remembered His covenant people and sent Moses to help free them. Through Moses, the Lord brought signs and wonders, plagues and miracles. Pharaoh hardened his heart for a long time. But after terrible plagues, he finally let the Israelites go (see Exodus 2–12).

But even after they were freed, the Israelites’ troubles weren’t over. They faced trial after trial, problem after problem.

Throughout it all, the Lord tried, over and over, to teach one simple lesson: If you trust in Him, He will deliver you.

Different Kinds of Deliverance

The Lord has the power to deliver us from the challenges and problems we face. But He has many different ways of delivering us, and sometimes they may not be what we expect. We can learn from the scriptures what some of those different kinds of deliverance are.

Here are seven different ways the Lord delivered Moses and his people—and how He can deliver you.

1
Softening your heart

It may not have been easy for the Israelites to believe that Moses had been sent by the Lord. But for those who exercised faith, the Lord could soften their hearts to Moses’s message. (This is much like what He did for Nephi so that he would believe the words of his father [see 1 Nephi 2:16]).

You may sometimes have a hard time believing, understanding, or accepting something the Lord’s servants have said. But if you’re humble and sincere, the Lord can deliver you from confusion, bitterness, and frustration by softening your heart.

2
Softening others’ hearts

After Moses was born, the pharaoh declared that every Israelite boy born at that time should be killed. But Moses was spared because his mother floated him down the river in a basket. Pharaoh’s daughter found Moses and was moved, so she decided to raise him as her own. Her heart was softened. (See Exodus 2:1–10.)

Sometimes those who could do you harm open their hearts just enough for the Lord’s voice to break through, moving them to have mercy. The Lord can deliver you from trouble by helping to soften others’ hearts.

3
Giving you strength

When Moses first asked Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, Pharaoh responded by giving them greater burdens than they had before. Many of the Israelites complained, but they did bear those burdens.

The Lord wants you to cast your burdens upon Him. If you trust in Him, He can actually make burdens seem lighter (see Mosiah 24:13–15). He can deliver you from physical, mental, or emotional suffering by strengthening you to bear your burdens.

4
Giving you a way to escape

After the plagues, Pharaoh finally agreed to let the Israelites go. While they were on their way, Pharaoh changed his mind and sent chariots after them. At the Red Sea, Pharaoh’s chariots caught up to them, and the Lord told Moses to part the waters. The Israelites crossed through on dry ground. (See Exodus 14.)

In difficult situations, the Lord can give you a way to escape. This is especially true when it comes to temptation—He will help you if you pray to Him (see 1 Corinthians 10:13; Doctrine and Covenants 95:1; Alma 13:28).

5
Inspiring you to find a solution

While the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, they often looked to Moses to solve their problems. But it seems that Moses sometimes wished they could learn to receive inspiration from the Lord on their own (see Numbers 11:29). Nephi set a good example of this. When the Lord did not give him detailed instructions on how to solve a problem, Nephi took initiative, did what he could, sought guidance from the Lord, and found inspired solutions in the process (see 1 Nephi 16:18–32).

The Lord can deliver you from problems by inspiring you with solutions.

6
Inspiring others to help you

After the Israelites left Egypt, Moses’s father-in-law, Jethro, visited him. Jethro saw how the people brought every question and dispute to Moses. He said this would wear Moses out. He advised Moses to give authority to other men who could help him. Moses followed this advice and was blessed by it. (See Exodus 18:13–24.)

Often the Lord inspires family members, teachers, leaders, prophets and apostles, or friends to help you with challenges. The Lord can deliver you from your problems by inspiring others to help you. (And you can be inspired to be that help for others too.)

7
Meeting your needs with miracles

In the wilderness, the Israelites had many needs, including food and water. The Lord provided for their needs in miraculous ways. For instance, he gave them manna to eat, which appeared every morning (see Exodus 16). When they needed water, the Lord gave Moses power to give them water miraculously—even out of solid rock (see Exodus 15:23–26; 17:1–7).

If you trust in Him, the Lord can work miracles and provide you with what you need. He can deliver you from uncertainty, worry, and fear through His miraculous power.

Our Deliverer

The Lord has power to deliver us from problems and troubles from day to day. As we experience His deliverance daily, we increase our faith in His ultimate power to deliver us from our greatest challenges: sin and death.

As we remember the Lord and His deliverance, He remembers us. He offers us covenants that bind us to Him and bless us with even greater help and strength through His Spirit. He truly is our Deliverer.