The Anguish of Faith by Os Hillman
http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?blogid=2093&view=post&articleid=65850&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=Os%20Hillman&fldTopic=0
By Os Hillman
The Anguish
of Faith
by Os Hillman
"Do not hide Your face from me or I will be like those who go
down to the pit." - Psalm 143:7b
Of
all the biblical characters, David gives us a glimpse of a man who walked with
God with great emotion in victory and in defeat. David never lost a battle
throughout his many years of serving as king of Israel. In many of the Psalms,
David often lamented about the difficult places where God had placed him. He
talked of his enemies and the need for God to deliver him. He talked of God's
everlasting love for him. How do you suppose David came to this understanding
after years of being sought after by King Saul who wanted to take his life? His
years of turmoil within his family gave him many reasons to lose all hope in a
loving God.
David
often began his Psalms in a place of discouragement and loss of hope. But he
never ended one Psalm in defeat. He always came to a place of victory in God by
the end of the Psalm. David always placed his life in God's hands, knowing He
would care for him.
Let
the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in
You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul. Rescue me from
my enemies, O Lord, for I hide myself in You. Teach me to do Your will, for You
are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground (Psalm 143:8-10).
It
is okay to feel discouragement. It is part of the process of grieving and
working through those times of pain. But God wants each of us to allow Him to
walk with us in these places. If you find yourself in one of these places, do
what David did. Ask God to show you the way and let Him bring the word of His
unfailing love to you.
Os
Hillman
By permission only. To learn more about
Os Hillman, go to: www.marketplaceleaders.org.
http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?blogid=2093&url=10&view=post&articleid=207579&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=Os%20Hillman&fldTopic=0
"And the Lord said to Joshua, 'This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.'"(Josh 3:7-8). Joshua had been a faithful number two man under Moses for 40 years. Can you imagine serving one man for 40 years? Now that is faithfulness! Even so, when the time came to pass the mantel to Joshua, God knew he needed to be elevated in the eyes of the people in order for Joshua to accomplish his purpose. That is the purpose for elevation - so that you and I can fulfill our purpose and our mission.
http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?blogid=2093&url=10&view=post&articleid=206343&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=Os%20Hillman&fldTopic=0
"Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband." Ruth 1:3-5 Naomi's life was going well. A great husband. Two fine sons who had two wonderful wives. Then the unthinkable happened. Her husband died. A little time later both her sons die. Her and her daughter-in-laws find themselves in the midst of shattered dreams. This isn't how life was supposed to be.
http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?blogid=2093&url=10&view=post&articleid=202592&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=Os%20Hillman&fldTopic=0
"While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, 'Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.'" Acts 10:19-20 Peter had never preached to the Gentiles. In fact, he believed it was against Jewish law to associate with the Gentiles. God needed to change Peter's attitude about this, so God gave Peter a vision that showed him it was permissible to preach to the Gentiles. The Spirit came to Peter and informed him that some men were about to come visit him, and he was to go with them. He went with them, and the Lord did great miracles in the lives of Gentiles through Peter.