“For by [faith – trust and holy fervour born of faith] the men of old had the divine testimony borne to them and obtained a good report.” Heb 11:2 (Amplified)
The common characteristic of those who forced their way to the top of God’s agenda is the fact that they were initially sideshows who became the main events. So, how did they become the centre of God’s attention, if only for a few moments? Well, they took the initiative to do all that was necessary to achieve their faith objectives. Had they not taken bold steps of faith we would not have known about them. So, what emboldened them to make such risky moves and how could they be sure that they would not have faced rejection from Jesus? It was because they already appreciated the fact that faith is the currency of heaven. It is the only universal language that heaven understands. Faith contains the DNA of heaven. Consequently, anyone who operates by faith is operating in line with the character of God; hence living by faith simply makes us our father’s children – chips off the old bloc. Faith represents the bridge that connects heaven to earth. It is the super highway by which substances are exchanged – faith requests goes up and the answer comes down. Faith facilitates the divine exchange that we require to live victoriously in this world.
So, what forced these people to take the initiative? It was because they all faced very desperate circumstances. But then, don’t we all face desperate circumstances and still not reach out to God the way these people did? Desperation is never a guarantee that we will automatically reach out to God. The key factor that determines our response to a desperate situation is the faith factor within us. For example, two people facing exactly the same desperate situation might choose to respond differently. A mother whose children face starvation might decide to go into prostitution to feed them, while another equally desperate mother might choose to trust God to supply her needs. The reason for their differing choices boils down to their understanding of God and the faith or the lack of it, which that knowledge gave rise to in their hearts and which ultimately informed their decisions. Nevertheless, the fact that many of us often fail to follow through on the decisions we make during desperate times is proof enough that without added determination to steel our decision, we are unlikely to realise our stated faith objectives.
Desperation and determination can lead us to making holy decisions just as they can lead us in the other direction – sin. The clinching factor is our dependency on God. All the people in the stories highlighted were totally dependent on Jesus. They were unreservedly at His mercy. They had no where else to go and no one else to turn to. Jesus was it for them and they were all confident that He would not turn them away. The tragic stories we hear of those who commit suicides or murder-suicides proves that such people were desperate and determined, but crucially were not dependent on God or they would not have taken such fatal steps. So, how dependent are you on God – peripherally or utterly. The steps you ultimately take in desperate situations will bear this fact out. Choose the path of life and the God who proves Himself strong to those who trust in Him will save you. Dare to believe.
Prayer:
Lord, in your most desperate time, you prayed “Into your hands I commit my spirit”. I submit to you today in utter dependency. Transform my desperation situation into a wonderful testimony and cause my life to glorify your name. Amen.