HOLY DESPERATION

HOLY DESPERATION
by Carter Conlon

You and I are living in what I call "an hour of holy desperation."

Our society is degenerating very rapidly, and horrific crimes are
occurring so often that we are becoming dulled to it all. The
abnormal is becoming normal; evil is becoming good. As you
look around perhaps you wonder, "How do I fit into this moment
in time? What can God do through my life? And if He is going
to do something, why is it that my prayers, that I know are
according to His Word, have not yet been answered?"

To help address some of these questions, let´s look at
another time in history when a desperate hour came upon a
nation. The book of First Samuel speaks of a season when
there was no clear word or vision. The priesthood that was
supposed to represent God was instead deeply compromised
(see 1 Samuel 2:22-24, 3:1). God´s character, purpose, and
mind were hidden from the people, leaving them without
answers to the questions in their hearts: "What is happening
in our society? Where are we going?"

This situation was very similar to the day in which we live
when it seems as if the presence of God-His power and
provision that we have known throughout our history-is
suddenly gone. It appears that the enemies of God now
have the upper hand, dictating to us when we can pray,
what we can teach our children, what is right and what is
wrong. As a result, a deep cry is beginning to form in the
hearts of the people.

Psalm 107 speaks of these seasons of holy desperation that
recurred throughout history. The psalmist describes a people
who were wandering, hungry, fainting and held captive. It was
a time marked by a foolish handling of the truth of God. Yet it
is in these very moments of desperation that the general
population begins to cry out to God, as is beginning in our day.
There is a cry rising in this generation-a cry not necessarily
heard by the natural ear, but God hears it. It is like the time He
came to Moses and said, "I have heard the cry of the people
and I have come down to deliver them" (see Exodus 3:7-8). In
other words, I have heard their groans of hopelessness. Today
the Lord hears the cries of those whose dreams have been
shattered, of parents whose children have gone astray, of those
who ask, "What happened to us?"

"I have surely seen the affliction of my people . . . and have heard
their cry" (Exodus 3:7).

-Source-

http://sermons.worldchallenge.org/en/node/27799