The writer recorded God's promise to deliver those who know and love Him. He will answer the cries for help that His people voice eventually (cf. Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21; Rom. 10:13). He will not abandon them in their distresses (cf. Josh. 1:9; Matt. 28:20). The promises of rescue and honor normally find fulfillment in this life, but they always do the other side of the grave. God normally blesses people who follow His will by allowing them to live longer. This was a special blessing under the Mosaic Law. Furthermore God promised the godly the satisfaction of seeing His deliverance.
How can we explain the fact that God has apparently not honored these promises consistently? Some godly people have died young, for example. Others have perished at the hands of their enemies as was true of the five missionaries to the Auca Indians in South America. Does this indicate that God is unfaithful and His promises are unreliable? If we view life as extending beyond the grave as it does, we should have no trouble with these promises. God will grant ultimate deliverance to His own even if He allows them to suffer and die at the hands of enemies in this life. Even those who die young have eternal life.
