The Gift of Desperation

(Acts 27:22-25; John 20:11-17; Matthew 8:23-26)

 We were  in such a desperate condition, although we did not know it, that He sent His only son Jesus Christ to die for us and bring us eternal life. It was a mighty act of complete love. This becomes even more amazing when we realize that God does not need us, but passionately extends His salvation to us.

Yes, our sins were so terrible, that He had to give up what was most precious to Him, to save us, from the consequences of hell and eternal damnation. Our Father, saw our desperate state, and foresaw the consequences of our not having a relationship with Him, and His son Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. The joys of heaven, and eternal life, are so incredible, that our Father in heaven, wanted us to see how deeply He loved us, through His son Jesus Christ. Our God is a compassionate lover that realizes how totally empty our existence would be without Him and His salvation. The consequences of hell are contrasted by God’s intense desire to save us and have an everlasting relationship with us.

Because of our fallen natures, God gives us the gift of desperation. It is true, yet unfortunate, that when things are going good, we don’t need God. Because of our pride, we have a built in desire to do things for ourselves, as much as we possibly can. In doing this, we take the glory that is rightfully God’s, while we run around building our own kingdoms. When we are in control, God is not in control, only one person can sit on the throne of our lives. When we do not allow God to be in control, things rapidly get out of hand. We become idol worshipers and worship anything else except Jesus. It grieves the Father and the Holy Spirit greatly that Jesus does not receive the worship He deserves. This idol worship leads us down the path of destruction and death. It is ironic, though, that God often uses this path to give us the gift of desperation.

Desperation often brings pain, and that is the alarm system that God uses to draw our attention to Him. When we begin to cry out, Oh God, save me!” God knows that we are ready to listen to Him. Our loving Father knows that our ears are not always open until this point. So when God wants us to listen, He allows us to experience a little desperation. This is not to bring punishment, but to bring us back to Him, and to all the wonderful things He has for us. He does not want us to be hurt or crushed. Satan wants that. But He allows us to become desperate so that we can realize how great His love is for us. We too often have hearts of stone and feet of clay. We are in a desperate situation, when Jesus is not in charge. It is only the gift of desperation that makes our heart soft and puts our feet on the path to heaven.

Here are some additional points to ponder concerning desperation:
1. The greater the desperation, the greater the revelation, can be of God’s love for us. Our eyes and ears, are opened because of our great need, and we experience the awesome power of God’s love for us. When this love is poured out, Jesus is revealed even more and then we become more grateful and more desperate for Him. This opens new avenues of revelation and trust.

2. Desperation helps us to have fellowship. When we are desperate we are willing to do things to establish friendships that we could not before. Risk taking increases. Desperation breaks down walls between people, and reduces pride and fear, that blocks relationships. Desperation can be the hammer of humility that enables us to have more successful friendships.

3. Desperation crushes isolation that keeps us from others. Desperation stirs up a need in us for God and for other people. It helps to reveal the goodness of God and treasures that are to be found in other people. When we feel that God, or other people withdraw from us, it can create a hunger for both. Isolation can be safe for a while, but it increases boredom and hopelessness.

4. Desperation reveals the sovereignty of God. Our Lord has his own way of doing things and they are often not what we would want or expect. God uses desperation to establish new things in our lives, and to make us more open to new ideas and thoughts. God uses desperation to show us that his ways are the best ways. There is nothing like the goodness of our God. He has the best ideas in the universe!

5. Desperation helps us to be more open to love. When we really need to receive, we are much more likely to receive. When we are loved, a passion for God and for life grows again. We become much more honest about our need and our pain. We see that we cannot do for ourselves, but God can.  Our Father in heaven wants to pour out His rich and full love upon us, over and over again.

6. Desperation brings intimacy. If we can learn to be more honest with ourselves, we are also gifted to be more real with God, and with others. We often have our most powerful encounters with God because of our desperate need for Him. Desperation increases intimacy, because it gives us desire and passion for what we do not have. Intimacy is a treasure that affects us now and into eternity.

7. Desperation increases our ability to take chances and risks. This is a skill that is necessary for a successful life. This helps to produce a dependence on God as a place of security and hope for us. Life is full of uncertainty, and playing it safe is not always the answer to our problems. Reward and risk often walk together.

8. Desperation is God’s way of preparing us for the future. We will not be ready for God’s ways if we cling to our own. Our plans for the future will not be sufficient. Looking to Jesus for everyday answers is the best way to prepare us for the future. Asking God to keep us dependent on him is an act of humility and wisdom.

9. Desperation produces more faith, and without faith it is impossible to please the Lord. This faith helps us to run to Jesus, and to stay with Jesus. Desperation creates the possibilities for solutions where they did not seem possible before. Faith in Jesus will bring solutions that are alive and fresh. When faith is built it can move the mountains in our lives.

10. Desperation makes us more quick hearted and softhearted to the Lord and to our brothers and sisters in Christ. We then have the capacity to have more compassion and understanding for those who are in need. We are all in the same situation except for the grace of God for us. When we do not walk with the Lord we are much slower to respond if at all. Our hearts, then become hardened to the ways of God and to his people

11. Desperation produces deeper love. This is because deeper need produces deeper commitment. Desperation also leads to courage which paves the way for deeper love. We need this courage both in loving the Lord and our brothers and sisters. When we love each other more the Lord will show us how we are tied to him and to each other. It is through this bond that God pours out his life through us. In the times ahead we will have to learn how to depend on God and on each other. This will be life to us and a saving grace. This will bring us both revelation and relationship that will be essential to us. In the future the people who depend on God the most will also thrive the most.

12. Desperation brings us to prayer and a conversation with God. Prayer is a weapon, a gift, and a treasure, for us to change our lives and the world. Only God knows how much prayer has made the impossible possible.

In the gift of desperation, we will discover the treasures and riches of God for us. Desperation will bring us the successes of the Lord if we give our desperation to Him. This is a priceless gift that will make God more real to us, and more real to all who witness God’s intervention in our affairs. The Lord works in strange ways his wonders to perform, because he knows us so well and has such a great and deep love for us. What a great, wise and mighty God he is for us.

Michael Carr, September 2024