Word Count: 782

Contact Jerry Ousley

Desperate Faith - Part 2

by Jerry Ousley  
8/09/2013 / Christian Living

I watched the television set nearly sitting on the edge of the couch. They were calling out the numbers one by one. I just knew that I had the winning number. I had prayed about this and had believed with everything in me that this was my night. It would be our answer to all our problems. We were behind on paying our bills and we needed money desperately. This was the answer and this was going to be the way.

But as they called out those numbers one by one, I grew more disappointed with each because none of them matched those printed on the ticket I had purchased for $1.00. I felt cheated. I had believed and expected. I thought I had heard from God. But it was not His plan for me to win the State Lottery.

What a letdown! Have you ever been there? You just knew that it was your time; your ship had come in and the answer to all your problems lay on board. But when the time came, the answer really wasn't there. You were disappointed beyond belief and you now believed that God had failed you.

But wait I did manage to pay my bills and after twenty years I'm still here, alive and kicking (maybe not as high I as I did back then). God took care of us in a completely different way and my faith is still intact.

There are times when we find ourselves in situations that demand a desperate faith. The man with the demon possessed son as found in Mark 9 was that way. He had tried everything he knew to bring peace to his son. Though the Bible doesn't say this, I believe that he had tried everything he could possibly think of yet nothing brought the boy relief.

In a last desperate attempt he had brought his son to the disciples of Jesus. Our Lord was even then up on the mountain where He had been transfigured, meeting with Moses and Elijah as Peter, James and John witnessed the miracle. But the disciples down at the foot of the mountain could do nothing. I'm certain they did what they had seen Jesus do many times before, yet nothing seemed to work. This man hung his head, nearly angry at God, because all seemed hopeless for his son.

Then Jesus came down from the mountain. The man approached him. He told his story and how that the disciples were able to do nothing. Jesus asked the man a simple question that demanded a simple answer. "Do you believe?" He was asking the man "do you believe that I can do this? Do you really believe that your son can be free?"

In an answer shot right back at Jesus the man said, "Yes Lord, I believe." There; he had said it. He spoke the words that he thought Jesus wanted to hear. But then something happened inside his heart. He searched, looking for the truth. And then He found it. He discovered doubt. He had tried so many things and all had failed. So there, down in his heart was a crumb of doubt. He really didn't believe that Jesus could do it.

This would never do. Looking up into the kind face of Jesus he knew that the complete truth had to come out. So he continued, "Lord, help my unbelief!" He admitted to it. Jesus already knew it but that's the way it is with our Lord. He demands nothing less than complete honesty. There's no room for excuses with Him. Because the man was completely honest, Jesus knew that by getting these feelings out into the open the man had begun the healing process for his own heart. He had a problem too. But now that it was all exposed there was room for our Lord to work. So he cast the demon from the man's son, and that day, I believe they were both healed.

We come to the Lord sometimes in a desperate faith. Our situation seems hopeless and there is no answer to be found. We've done everything we can possibly do and nothing seems to work. Then our Lord stands before us and asks, "Do you believe?" Do we believe? We can say that we do but only complete honesty will be accepted by Jesus. When we confess all and get all the dirty laundry out into the open, and we are completely exposed, then the Lord has the tools to really help us. And you know what? Whether our answer comes in the way we think it should or not, He will honor our desperate faith.

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.? Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be! Click here and TRUST JESUS NOW

Read more articles by Jerry Ousley

Like reading Christian Articles? Check out some more options. Read articles in Main Site Articles, Most Read Articles or our highly acclaimed Challenge Articles. Read Great New Release Christian Books for FREE in our Free Reads for Reviews Program. Or enter a keyword for a topic in the search box to search our articles.

Enter comments below. Due to spam, all hyperlinks posted in the comments are now immediately disabled by our system.

Please type the following word below:

Not readable? Change text.

The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.

Hire a Christian Writer, Christian Writer Wanted, Christian Writer Needed, Christian Content Needed, Find a Christian Editor, Hire a Christian Editor, Christian Editor, Find a Christian Writer