Quick Fix, or Quick Exit !
Views: 45
I went to a grocery shop with the family just before Christmas to get a few things. While I was selecting the things I went for, my seven-year-old daughter spotted a large soft doll and started pestering me to get it for her. She pestered and pestered me but my budget was very tight, so I never budged. The next day, she approached me when I was about to step out of home and said,
"Daddy, I have 30 cedis (~5 dollars). Can you add 30 cedis, and get me the doll?"
Her persistence really impressed me. You can imagine her joy when she got the doll as her boxing day gift.
Jesus taught us not to ever give up in prayer. This is the story in Luke 18:1-8
One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.
“There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”
Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”
(Luke 18:1-8 NLT)
Jesus use the story of a widow who persisted till she got justice to teach us to always persist in prayer. The judge neither feared God nor cared about people. Although not stated, I can surmise that he cared about material wealth, power or fame. The widow persisted even though the judge ignored her. He finally gave in saying,
“I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!”
(vv. 4-5)
Then Jesus concluded,
“Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”
(vv. 6-8)
These days, we want quick fixes. When it doesn’t happen when we want it, we exit quickly. We exit the prayer, we exit our church, and sometimes exit our faith! We are impatient with God.
However, Jesus teaches us to persist, but also cautions us against using vain words (Matthew 6:7-8); which are mostly meant to impress. Prayer is serious business, and must be given the seriousness it deserves.
When Jesus comes, may He find us persisting in prayer. May He find us among those who have faith on earth.
MEMORY VERSE
But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?
( Luke 18:8 )
QUESTIONS
- What do you want from God?
- Are you willing to persist in prayer?
PRAYER TIP
Father, please help me to understand that You test our faith, through our patience.
URGENT CALL
Every soul is valuable to God, far more than the entire world! But by nature, we are all sinful, and alienated from God, and we ultimately face his wrath!
God in His mercy and love made a way for us to remedy this. He gives us a chance to reverse this downward spiral to destruction, join His family, be part of His household, and become His children.
The first step to becoming a member of God’s household is for us to be saved.
Salvation comes through accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Personal Savior.
It is a very personal decision. No one can make that decision for you.
If you make that decision today, there will be great singing and rejoicing in heaven; because one new member has joined the family and household of God! A soul, much, much more valuable than the world, has been saved from destruction!
Do you want to make that decision today?
Please visit “The Believer’s Prayer”
for guidance if you want
to make that decision.
We will be happy to hear from you through the contact information on that page, or the ones at the top of this page. Don’t delay. Make this very personal decision today!
God richly bless you
SPECIAL GRATITUDE
Thank you for visiting the Testimony Devotional Website.
We would not have gotten here without your prayers, goodwill and overall support. We are grateful, and humbled.
We thank God for counting us worthy to share in His Great Commission; and we thank you for sticking with us through this journey.
God richly bless you.
The Testimony Devotional website addresses are: