One thing God cannot ignore
Matthew 13:54-58, “And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? [55] Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? [56] And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? [57] And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. [58] And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”
Everyone does not receive miracles or breakthrough. As anointed as Jesus was, He could not do great things in His hometown because of their unbelief. They ignored His power. They doubted and questioned the source of His wisdom and power. They did not honour Him as the Son of God. Virtue ceases to flow in your direction when you fail to honour the Word of God. Failure to receive is traceable to failure of faith.
God ignores those who ignore Him. But there is one thing God cannot ignore: DESPERATE FAITH FOR DIVINE INTERVENTION! There is a group of people God cannot ignore; those who are desperate for His intervention!
Everyone in the Bible who received a miracle showed a high level of hunger or desperation for God’s attention and power. Listen to what Jacob said when he had that famous encounter with the Angel of God, Genesis 32:26, “And He said, Let Me go, for the day breaks. But he said, I will not let You go unless You bless me!” For Jacob, it was all or nothing, it was now or never. He was not ready to take no for an answer.
Friends of a paralysed man were so desperate for divine touch that they had to tear the roof of the house where Jesus was ministering just to get their sick friend to Jesus. Jesus commended their faith. Needless to say, that the man went home healed and restored.
The woman with the issue of blood had to break the law by tearing through the crowd to touch Jesus and receive her healing. Matthew 9:20-21, “And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: [21] For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.” She was fed up with her situation. She had exhausted everything she had on hospital bills and so she could not afford to fail this time. Jesus was her last hope. At this point, she had no plan B. She was desperate for divine intervention.
Listen to what the Bible says in Deuteronomy 4:29, “But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” God ignores people who are casual in their search for His help. Unserious people don’t get His attention.
Desperate faith is proof of total conviction and trust in the power of God. Casual faith doesn’t go far with God. It takes desperate faith to benefit from a divine encounter.
Let me qualify this. We are not talking about just being desperate, or being desperate for things: husband, wife, children, or healing or financial breakthrough, we’re talking about being desperate for God and His power.
5 Ways To Recognize Desperate Faith
1. Desperate faith honours God. You dishonour God when you don’t believe Him. You question His integrity when you fail to believe and act on His instruction or Word. You dishonour Him when you treat His Word with disrespect. You must realise that He is not a man to lie. Desperate faith believes in the almightiness of God. It believes in the person, deity, and power of Jesus. This was where the people in the hometown of Jesus missed it. They saw Him as the carpenter’s son and not as the Son of God. Those who recognize God position themselves for His power.
2. Desperate faith has no plan B. The woman with the issue of blood didn’t come to try Jesus, she was fully convinced that her problem will end when she is able to touch Jesus. She had no alternative to return to. This was her chance, and she wasn’t going to lose it.
3. Desperate faith is Persistent faith, it is tenacious faith. Bartimaeus screamed at the top of his voice to get the attention of Jesus. People tried to silence him, but He screamed some more.
4. It is a Risk-taking faith. Esther took her life in hands to take her petition to the king uninvited after fasting for three days.
She received unprecedented favour and her request was granted. Just like the case of the woman with the issue of blood, desperate faith suspends protocol. It took the faith of four desperate lepers to bring a national siege to an end.
5. Desperate faith is Proof-producing faith. The proof of faith is results. Everyone in the Bible who was desperate for divine touch got it. Everyone who is hungry for His power today will not go home empty handed.
Let me close with this. We don’t see Jesus today, but we see His servants. You must accord them the same respect you accord Jesus. You must receive them in the Name of Jesus because they act on His behalf. Listen to what Jesus said. Matthew 10:40-41, “He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. [41] He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.”
Those who despise men of God despise Jesus and they are more likely to continue in their suffering than other people.
Come with an open heart. Come hungry to receive. Come expecting to receive. Come like Esther, come like Bartimaeus. Come like the woman with the issue of blood. God will not ignore your faith today. Your faith will produce results. God will reward your faith, in Jesus Name!