When Desperation Calls

Aim: To find strength in Jesus, even in the midst of great danger.

Doctrine: Being in tough straits is not all bad, because it drives me to serious ends, and it exposes my truest heart.

Exegesis: When it is prudent to feel desperate: when God is not inclined to hear prayer (14:19-15:1a); when God surrenders sinners to their own devices (15:1b-2); when God brings the curses of the covenant to bear (15:3-4).

Further application: How to turn desperation into blessing: beg God for a different spirit, and believe that God forgives sinners.

Key verse: 15:1 ''Then the LORD said to me, 'Even if Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My mind would not be favorable toward this people. Cast them out of My sight, and let them go forth.'''