Reading: Luke 18:1-8
Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” [NASB1995®]www.lockman.org.
Reading the above passage reminds us that men are increasingly far from God. The kingdom of God seems somewhat distant, and it seems that violence, suffering, injustice and sin reign. Evil abounds, as in the days of Noah (no, the things we see today are not new).
The children of God know that it will not be like this forever. We know that the kingdom of God is being established in the lives of those whose eyes have been opened by God to know their sin and who turn to God with repentance. We know that the Gospel transforms lives at the core.
And yet sometimes our weak hearts are discouraged.
Jesus shares this story to us to remind us of the precious truth that we must pray at all times, without losing heart. He gives us the example of a widow whom the judge does not want to listen to, but, because of her insistence, she convinces him to hear her case.
What should we learn from the widow? Her perseverance. A perseverance that makes even more sense, when we consider that by prayer we turn to a loving Father who has loved us more than we can imagine, even sending His Son.
Prayer turns our hearts to God. It helps us remember who He is. God is sovereign, wise and loving. That firm truth gives us security. He is the immovable Rock.
God hears our plea. God knows our doubts. God has promised to be with us forever.
Let us not lose heart; let us pray without ceasing. The more difficult the circumstances become, the more we hold steadfast to Him.
When the Lord comes, he will find us with our confidence in Him. The Lord cares for His own.
MEDITATE: How do we react to difficult situations? When the Lord comes, will He find faith in us? Persevere. He sustains you. He strengthens you. He will give you the reward.
Scripture quotation taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Translation By: Emily Stader
