God's Motives by Os Hillman
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By Os Hillman
God's
Motives
by Os Hillman
"He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because
He delighted in me." 2 Samuel 22:20
Questioning
someone's motives for their activities can become an overriding response to
those to whom we relate. Wrong motives can result in broken relationships, poor
business decisions, and falling out of God's will. Sometimes we do not know the
motive of another person. It is wrong for us to assume what their motive is
until we have confidence that we know their intentions. When we respond or
react prematurely, we become judge and jury over them.
God
has a motive for every one of His children. His desire is to bring us into a
spacious place. He wants us to go beyond our borders of safety and security so
that we might experience life at a level that goes beyond ourselves. What do
you think of when you think of a "spacious place"? No limitations? A
large, grassy field? Open air? These are positive images. Sometimes these
spacious places encourage us to step out in faith into areas where we've never
ventured. Sometimes we need to be rescued by the Lord. When Peter walked on the
water, God was inviting him to a spacious place. He went beyond the borders of
his boat and ventured into a whole new world. He didn't have complete success
in his venturing out, but it was a process that would lead him to the next
victory in his faith walk with Jesus. Sometimes failure is what is needed in
order to move us to the next level of faith with God. However, we must be
willing to fail and let God rescue us.
The
Lord delights in this process. His motive for His children is always love. It
is always to bring us to a new level of trust and dependence on Him.
Os Hillman
By permission
only. To learn more about Os Hillman, go to: www.marketplaceleaders.org.
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"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.
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"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.
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"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.