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Hiding & Hiddenness

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HIDING & HIDDENNESS
Hiding yourself in the Lord and being hidden by the Lord are two vast extremes. Each has its warfare and overflow of emotions. But in both you are given the grace and favor of the Lord to abide.
 
In your pursuit to hide yourself you are filled with the war of emotions that are internal against yourself. Thoughts about your own unworthiness; the greatness of your own sin, etc. All of these thoughts want to stop us from abiding in His hiding place. We are given a grace to hunger after Him and pursue Him regardless of the thoughts that want to interfere and stop us.
 
When we find ourselves in the season of hiddenness that has been prescribed by the Lord, the warfare shifts. Now all the thoughts that war against us are coming from without. Thoughts like, “they don’t want me,” “they overlooked me,” ”how could they abandon me,” and more. When we are hidden by Him, it is just that. We are hidden. The Lord has purposed for you to not be seen…He wants you. We are then given a grace to shift our focus from what others are doing to just keep looking at Him. We have to learn to be satisfied with just Him.
 
Hiding yourself and being hidden are necessary seasons for every heart that longs for more of Him.
Posted by Annette Donaldson with
in Faith

Freedom For New Beginnings

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Freedom for New Beginnings 

Psalm 118:5 TPT
Out of my deep anguish and pain I prayed and God, You helped me as a father. You came to my rescue and broke open the way into a beautiful and broad place. 

I love how the psalmist is so honest and clear about the conditions of his life and soul. Deep pain. Anguish. Most versions say, “out of my distress.” The Hebrew word for distress is defined as “straits” or “something tight.” The root word is defined as “distress, trouble, affliction, anguish, adversity, vexer, tribulation, tightness.” There is much to be gleaned from all those words. But most importantly you can feel the overwhelming sense of brokenness that was upon his heart. 

There comes a point in the “tightening” of problematic circumstances where we begin to really feel the constricting. It’s uncomfortable, but we are pretty secure in our own abilities to handle things, we think, so we endure like a “good soldier.” Or even worse, we have that nasty independent spirit within us that refuses to admit that slow feeling of being overwhelmed. Yet even still, the narrowing doesn’t stop…it gets tighter and tighter…. until

“Out of my deep anguish and pain…I prayed.” 
Finally, we cry out. Not when things get better. Not when all the problems are solved. Not when we have it all figured out. Nope! We cry out in the MIDST of our brokenness, pain, and mess. And Jesus doesn’t turn His head in disapproval. He doesn’t reply with all the reasons why you may be wrong. He doesn’t reject us. 
No, instead we see the most beautiful words, 
“You helped me as a Father. You came to my rescue.”
With care, love, kindness, and comfort, He helps us. He answers us. He supports us. He heals us. He makes all things NEW! He makes our hearts NEW

Notice what the psalmist says next, “You…broke open the way into a beautiful broad place.”
Did you catch that? Do you see what happens when we turn and cry out to Jesus? We come from the place of “something tight, distress, trouble, affliction, narrowing” to Jesus leading us to a BROAD place! From narrowing and restricting to broad, large and spacious. Figuratively speaking the psalmist is declaring to us that we become FREE when we, even in our brokenness, cry out to Jesus!! 

This is the freedom for a new beginning!! And it’s available for anyone who needs it and wants it! Just cry out!! Jesus will make you new!! And set you in a broad place of freedom.  

 

 

 

Posted by Annette Donaldson with