Psalm 130:1-8

Desperation is rarely used as a word to describe our relationship with God; but it certainly should be.  We may cry out to the Lord out of desperation over a circumstance that is not to our liking.  That is not the kind of desperation to which I am referring.  The desperation that I believe we should demonstrate is a desperation about our own sinfulness and the effect of that sinfulness on our relationship with God.  Unfortunately, we are often far more concerned with the external comfort of our physical bodies than we are with the internal cancer of sin that is eating away at our souls.  In light of our sinfulness we should be calling out to God in desperation.

WE SHOULD CRY OUT TO GOD FOR HIS MERCIFUL FORGIVENESS: All of us are in desperate need of forgiveness.  We are all sinful and our sinfulness is like blight on our lives and keeps us from being able to rejoice in the life that God grants us and enjoy an open relationship with Him.  Our sin impacts all of our relationships but especially our relationship with God.  Because of our sin we see God as distant and feel like He does not hear our prayers or even care about our condition.  These feelings are not true.  God is always near, He always hears every prayer and loves us more deeply than we could ever imagine.  God is merciful and He does not keep an account of our sin in order to use them to condemn us; instead He sent Jesus to die for our sin so that we might be forgiven.  Our most desperate need is for forgiveness and God has provided a means of forgiveness for us through the blood of His Son.  We must stand in awe and reverence of Him and cry out to Him for the forgiveness that only He can give.


WE SHOULD HOPE IN THE LORD FOR HIS LOVING REDEMPTION:  Our eyes must be fixed on the Lord and be attentive to Him like a watchman concentrates on that which he is protecting.  We desperately need hope in the world today.  Unfortunately, people are looking in all the wrong places and to all the wrong people for hope.  The Lord is the only true and reliable source of hope in the world.  He must be the center of our attention and the object of our affections.  He loves us and wants us to love Him.  He offers us full and complete redemption and has paid to redeem us with the blood of Jesus.  The ransom for the sin that has captivated us from conception has been paid.  We need not be enslaved to sin and the consequences of sin because God has lovingly redeemed us.  That is why we can have true and genuine hope.

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