MOVE TOWARD JESUS // AUGUST 9, 2022
And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.
John 4:46-47
There's a lot we don't know about this father: Who was he? What was his position? Did he travel on donkey? By foot? We do know this father was facing a desperate situation that was out of his control. He was so desperate he was willing to travel a great distance to meet some man he'd only heard of. This royal official wasn't too proud to beg. He demonstrated crisis faith.
Many of us can relate to crisis faith. What kind of great distance do we travel emotionally to get to church on Sundays? To just show up in our own lives: to maintain relationships, to check in with ourself, to climb out of depression? Are we desperate for inner peace, for a sick family member, for a solution, to know our kid is safe? We've heard the phrase, "Desperate times calls for desperate measures." What if we change it to: "Desperate times call for Jesus!" Our desperation is a gift if we let it be. We don’t need to hide our weakness, our emptiness or our defeat. What if, instead, our desperation moves us toward Jesus -- not our destructive behaviors? The challenges of life can feel overwhelming; we see no way out. In the face of heartbreak and disappointment ... what do we do? We can cry out to Jesus in complete surrender. We can turn toward the word he's given us. We can take that word and work it out in our daily lives.
Are you desperate for a miracle today? If so, let it be the gift that gets you to stop running and stop hiding. Let your desperation be your catalyst to move you toward your savior. Jesus is the miracle worker for those in desperate need of him. Take time today to pray in complete surrender and reach out toward the one who can shift your crisis faith to confident faith.