We Come Desperate for You
“Thunderously, inarguably, the Sermon on the Mount proves that before God we all stand on level ground: murderers and temper-throwers, adulterers and lusters, thieves and coveters. We are all desperate, and that is in fact the only state appropriate to a human being who wants to know God. Having fallen from the absolute Ideal, we have nowhere to land but in the safety net of absolute grace.” – Philip Yancey
My three teenage sons were baptized last month.
Since our move to Texas in January, God has been doing a work in our family that has been an answer to our specific prayer in this season: “God, take us deeper in You.”
We knew that it was a vulnerable prayer to pray. Why? Because “going deeper” in God – knowing more and more of who He is, and responding in daily humility and surrender – makes us more and more aware of His greatness. And His greatness always reveals more of who we are, reminding us of our desperate need for Him.
It’s a humbling place.
It’s a transforming place.
It’s a broken, turned beautiful place.
As powerful worship continued in the auditorium, large groups of family and friends took turns excusing themselves to witness humble men, women, and children go “all in” through water baptism. Their obedient, outward expression of being “raised to life” in Christ confessed to the world the transformation that had already internally begun in faith.
Strong men with no longer anything to prove came.
Brave women with years of shame lifted came.
Young children with refreshing, simple faith came.
And tears flowed as I saw the poor and needy come desperate for Jesus…
All the poor and powerless
And all the lost and lonely
And all the thieves will come confess
And know that You are holyAnd all will sing out
Hallelujah
And we will cry out
HallelujahAnd all the hearts who are content
And all who feel unworthy
And all who hurt with nothing left
Will know that You are holyShout it
Go on and scream it from the mountains
Go on and tell it to the masses
That He is God
- All Sons and Daughters
We come desperate, yet we live in greater hope. We come broken, but we land in an ocean of greater grace. We live in the tension of the now and the not yet, but in Christ ours is the kingdom of heaven.
“Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’” – Matthew 5:1-3
His disciples came to Him. Jesus, we come to You. Oh God, even on our best day, may we never, ever get over being desperate for You…
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Love God greatly is blessing to me
Awwwwwwwww Glory to God in the highest. It warms our heart to read that. God bless you and enjoy the study.
I don’t know where a God is leading me during this season, but my devotion earlier today lead me to pray”unsettle me”. In other words if there’s any area of my life that needs change make aware and uncomfortable enough to allow the Spirit to make that change. Now you are calling me to “go deeper”. These are dangerous prayers, but the Spirit is calling. May my eyes, ears and heart be open.
Is that a song in the quote block that started “All the poor and powerless
And all the lost and lonely
And all the thieves will come confess”? My Daddy wrote gospel music and if that’s not a song, it most certainly should be! It made me cry as I pictured all the people who were either grateful or broken or both going to God.
I soooo Know I can do nothing without Christ! Humility is probably the one thing that is in my character …but in my prayers daily I do request forgiveness for anything that I have ever done against God whether I realized it or not and I ask forgiveness for anything I should have done and didn’t! I’m still learning and asking. God to change me every day to be a better child of God!