Seeking Jesus in our desperation can be a time of spiritual breakthrough in our life. I believe we all experience times of distress in our life to various degrees. The question is, “Will you let the Lord use this desperation to change your life?”
After decades of being away from worship, a man I came to know entered the church I was serving. Incurable cancer broke a once vibrant and proud man. He was desperate both physically and spiritually. Through the Holy Spirit’s work, he returned to the Lord like the prodigal son.
Like the prodigal son, he had come to the end of himself. His illness showed the foolishness of his life apart from the Lord. The Lord welcomed him back with open arms as he humbly repented and asked the Lord to forgive him. Later, he asked, “Why did it take incurable cancer to see what was important in life?” God, in His mercy, can use desperation to strip away the ways of the world, which shows us the actual value of our relationship with Him.
Desperation Redefines Priorities
Jews and Gentiles generally disliked each other. But a desperate Gentile woman was willing to seek out Jesus. Her daughter was demon-possessed, and she knew she could not rid her of this evil spirit. She was ready to lay aside prejudice to seek help. God often uses our desperation to show us our need for Him.
Mark 7:25 Right away, a woman who had heard about him came and fell at his feet. Her little girl was possessed by an evil spirit, 26 and she begged him to cast out the demon from her daughter. [1]
Jesus Came to a Desperate World
Through God’s grace, Jesus entered a desperate world as the Messiah. The Lord knew that we could not save ourselves but needed a Savior who would give His life for us on the cross. Jesus paid the total price for our sins on the cross.
This woman’s encounter with Jesus changed her life because He healed her daughter. Mark 7:30And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone. [2] Can you imagine the joy of this woman when she saw her daughter? Scripture doesn’t tell us more about this woman or her daughter, but I am sure they were praising God. Psalm 106:1 Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.[3]
To hear about seeking Jesus in our desperation, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/mark-caring-for-outcasts
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.