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Faith Birthed In Affliction
.
True
faith is birthed in affliction and can’t be drawn out of us in any other way.
When we are in the midst of a trial and we turn to God’s Word — choosing to
live or die by his promises to us — the outcome is faith! Without faith, it is
simply impossible to please God. Whenever we become discouraged in our faith,
we have to discipline ourselves to recall all that God has brought us through.
Choose today to trust your heavenly Father!
David
Wilkerson
The Bible makes it clear that our trials are
orchestrated by God.
It was he who allowed the Israelites to
hunger and thirst — even though he was always faithful to his Word and
miraculously provided for his people.
“He brought quail,
and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and water
gushed out … For He remembered His holy promise” - (Psalm 105:40-42).
The Father led the children of Israel into
dire testings for a specific purpose: to prepare them to trust his holy Word.
Why? Because he was about to take them into a
land where they would need absolute confidence in his promises.
How many Christians have experienced God’s
deliverance, only to be brought quickly to a place of severe testing?
The fact is, all true faith is birthed in
affliction and can’t be drawn out of us in any other way.
When we are in the midst of a trial and we
turn to God’s Word — choosing to live or die by his promises to us — the
outcome is faith!
Faith grows from test
to test, until the Lord has a people whose testimony is, “Our God is
faithful.”
Without faith, it is simply impossible to
please God.
You may object,
“But everything you’re talking about so far is Old Testament. We live in a day
of grace.”
Remember God’s Word
in Hebrews: “To whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to
those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of
unbelief … Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of
unbelief in departing from the living God” (Hebrews 3:18-19, 12).
Whenever we become discouraged in our faith,
we have to discipline ourselves to recall all that God has brought us through.
We must remember the miracles he has provided
in our hard times and rejoice, knowing he is pleased with what he has done.
“Have I not commanded
you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the
Lord your God is with you wherever you go” - (Joshua 1:9).
Choose today to trust your heavenly Father!
David Wilkerson was called to New York City in 1958 to minister to gang members and drug addicts, as told in the best-selling book The Cross and the Switchblade. He went on to create Teen Challenge and World Challenge, Inc. to minister to people’s spiritual and physical needs.
In
1987, he established Times Square Church. As its founding pastor, he faithfully
led this congregation, delivering powerful biblical messages that encourage righteous
living and complete reliance on God.
David
Wilkerson also had a strong burden to encourage his fellow pastors. He founded
the Summit International School of Ministry; and from 1999 to 2008, he held
international conferences to strengthen church leaders.
His passion to support believers, build up leaders and care for the poor is still at the heart of World Challenge’s ministries to this day.
World
Challenge,
Inc. was founded by Reverend David Wilkerson in 1971 and served as a corporate umbrella
for his worldwide crusades, ministers' conferences, book and tract publication,
video production, street evangelism, literature distribution, church planting,
drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers and many charitable outreaches. Today,
World Challenge Inc. shares the message of the gospel through mission
outreaches and literature distribution. Sermons from David Wilkerson and his
son Gary are shared monthly through the Pulpit Series newsletter to hundreds of
thousands of people. The numerous mission outreaches of World Challenge to the
poor include orphanages, overseas widows’ fund, emergency/disaster relief,
healthcare/clinics, community development and feeding centers. Gary Wilkerson
became president of World Challenge in 2010 and moves forward with the same
heart and vision as his father.
https://worldchallenge.org/devotion/faith-birthed-affliction
