Our Pastor preached on this passage of scripture yesterday, and it lit a fire underneath me!
Luke 18:1-8
Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying:
“There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’”
Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
Verse 1, which sets the tone for the whole parable-ALWAYS pray and don't lose heart!
So many times I pray once or twice, and then wonder if God is even listening, and whine because I haven't received my expected answer yet! I am learning to be consistent with fervor!
But then, the next verses really get me...So here's a widow, who is determined to not only have her case HEARD by this ungodly, uncaring judge, but she also demanded that she be avenged by what her adversary had done against her. She wasn't mousy or timid, she wasn't even polite or well mannered. She was at a point in her life where she knew the judge had the power to answer her plea, and she was not about to take no for an answer. She badgered and bothered and just plain wore that judge's ear out, by her constant petition, until he couldn't stand it any longer and granted her request. It wasn't her faith that moved him. It wasn't her knowledge of scripture or her social position that made the judge act. It was sheer relentlessness on the part of a woman who had been wronged, seeking justice.
Then, God relates this parable to our life, and said: (paraphrased) If that judge, who had no regard for God, and cared nothing for people can bring a swift judgement in favor of the widow, HOW MUCH MORE can our Lord in heaven hear our prayers and act on them in our favor to avenge us against what the adversary has stolen from us? If we continue to pray always for our answer, and don't give up hope, and be relentless in our drive to hear from God and see His justice in our situations, he WILL come through for us! I think our culture has taught us not to beg, and to keep our manners and stop repeating ourselves. Dear Abby has made a living out of telling us how we should behave and the way we should speak. If the truth be told, this widow, in modern times, would be treated as someone with a mental condition who is a little off her rocker. Clearly she would not have been featured on any etiquette magazine. Especially down here in the South, where you hear people always quoting quaint sayings like "Well, you catch more flies with honey." But this passage reminds me that there are times we need to fight persistently, without letting up or giving in, for the situations where we have been wronged-where the devil has come in and robbed us in broad daylight, and we in ourselves have no power to do a thing about it, except to be passionate and determined in asking God, day and night, to bring justice to that situation. Whether it be a loss of a job, years robbed by disease, or any other way the enemy has come against us and the ones we love. And then, when we have persevered, and our justice comes, the adversary is bound to pay back seven times what he stole in the first place! (Proverbs 6:31).
So I am determined to:
PRAY
PRAY without giving in
PRAY believing that God will act
EXPECT justice
EXPECT restoration of what was stolen times seven
and be RELENTLESS until I see it come to pass!
What are you believing for? God is able-Don't give up!
