Yesterday, we talked about the faith of propriety and how it operates in the lives of believers, especially those who are new to the faith. Today, we are going to look at another kind of faith we often see working in our walk with God — the faith of desperation.

Have you ever heard the saying that there are no atheists in a foxhole? This pretty much sums up the faith of desperation. Even if you haven’t been to church in a long time and haven’t opened your Bible for years, when the bottom falls out of your life and you find yourself in a desperate situation, you will inevitably look to the Lord.

Although he began with a faith of propriety, Job’s faith quickly turned to one of desperation when he lost everything that he had. As he sat with a piece of clay, scraping boils off of his skin, he said, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in Him.” Similarly, it was despondency that drove the disciples to cry out to Jesus when they feared they would drown in the storm. It was also anguish that inspired the Syrophoenician woman in Mark 7 to beg the Lord to heal her daughter, responding to Jesus’ rebuke with the words “even the dogs eat the crumbs from the children’s table.” In each of these instances, dire circumstances prompted a major display of trust!

Friend, God honors the faith of desperation just like He does the faith of propriety. Whenever you go through deep waters, He is with you and He will help you. He understands that you have a breaking point, and He may well use that pivotal moment to change your course and set a trajectory back to His loving arms. No matter what you are going through today, cry out to Him and know that He hears you and will respond to your raw, impassioned, and desperate call. With Him on your side, everything the devil meant for evil will be turned around for your good! Isn’t that wonderful news?