Desperate Times

The definition of “Desperate” from the Merriam-Webster dictionary is, “very sad and upset because of having little or no hope: feeling or showing despair: very bad or difficult to deal with: done with all of your strength or energy and with little hope of succeeding”.

Doesn’t this sound like how many in the world are feeling today? Desperate” Yes, because they have little or no hope for what they see happening all around them. They do not understand what is happening and they do not see any hope for change. They have forsaken their God and now are suffering the consequences. The saying, “You’ve made your bed, now lie in it” comes to mind. God warned us, “Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips: In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow. Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!” (Isa. 17:10-12)

We have made quite a mess of things, haven’t we? Still, I believe God is working to bring us back to Him. I have just received copies of the messages from the BIWF Conference in Buxton last July and was listening to the talk given by Michael Bennett. He was talking about the verse Rev. 18:4 “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Michael mentioned how in this verse it says COME out, not GO out. It really struck me that yes, God is saying come out and I will help you, guide you. Not go out where we are doing it on our own. God is with us and the outcome of the Brexit vote, which was such a surprise, shows that when God is working nothing is impossible.

It is interesting to note that often we do something that normally we would not do but because we are desperate, we decide to do it a different way. Because of this, we further God’s plan and have done things His way only because of desperation. Is this not largely what happened with Brexit, people were tired of the system in place and decided to vote against the establishment in place. They felt desperate and wanted change. As a result of this desperation, they decided to “come out of her my people”, which was what God wanted. God used their desperation to guide them out of the EU system. At the time of writing this article the United States election is still a week away but could the same thing happen there. At this point people are tired of the whole thing and just want the election to be over. They are desperate for a solution to the mess they find themselves. Yet, God is at work and whatever the outcome we will see God’s hand in it.

In Revelation 7:1-4 we read, “And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.” God seals those of us who have cleansed our robes with the blood of the LAMB with His spirit to protect us in whatever comes our way. He seals His servants as His own. We are His and He watches over us. His seal is His mark of ownership and we belong to Him, not to this world. We certainly have no reason to be desperate no matter what is happening around us. “And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” (Rev. 7:13-17) We have such a wonderful future waiting for us. When we accepted the wonderful gift of Salvation that our God gave us in the sacrifice on the CROSS of His Son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we were sealed by God and can trust Him and all His resources in anything that may happen.

Desperate times, yes for many but not for those who know and have accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour. We must pray that many of our Israel brethren who are feeling desperate will repent and turn back to the One who can give them peace.