Luke 18:7-8
10/29/07 , by Posted by: Admin
And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
We started this month on a journey of faith with the childlike trust of faith. It is not the size of faith but the object of faith. We continued last week with the grateful heart of faith. It is not fruit of faith but the author of faith. Our journey this week will move to a tougher aspect of faith—the perseverance prayer of faith. It is not just a mere presence of faith but the enduring trust of faith.
Our progressive journey of faith is like a picture of growth from childhood to adulthood. As children of God, we need a childlike trust. As youth in Christ, we need a grateful heart and as an adult in Christ, we need persevering prayer of faith. Like a diamond with different dimensions, so is faith with different expressions and applications.
This poor widow is vulnerable to troubles of a hostile world. Life treats her unjustly. Perhaps someone harassed her. Obviously, she cannot defend herself nor does she try to bring justice on her own. The only choice is to seek help from the one assigned to execute justice. Her safety depends on this judge as her only hope. Unfortunately, this pagan judge does not want to attend to her need for two obvious reasons; first, he does not fear God and second he does not care about men. Regardless of his passive indifference, the widow persisted in her quest for justice. She persisted because she was helpless. She kept on knocking on his door because of the hope that he will respond. Persistence faith grows out of a sense of helplessness. Persistence faith possesses enduring hope and unreserved trust in the Author and the Finisher of our faith.
Her persistence causes this pagan judge to attend to her need. He helps her not because he cares but because he is fed up with her persistence. Her persistence pays off. Her request was granted. This pagan judge is evil and yet he helps this widow because she perseveres.
When God is silent and seems unresponsive to our prayers, does it mean he is hesitant to grant us our needs? Is he insensitive to our pain? And when he responds, does it mean that God is finally fed up and wants to get rid of us? No way. God is not evil.
The silence of God is an invitation for us to be still in his presence. God longs for our fellowship for we are his “chosen ones.” He loves us deeply and he cares for our well being. His silence might be his “quick” response to the cry of our hearts. Perhaps, our trust in Him is what we need. And we may need it more than Him meeting our needs. He wants our faith to grow from being “demanding” to humble helpless trust, knowing He will make all things beautiful in His own time.
Faith should not be a means to use God as a "need-meter" but a means to commune, to fellowship, to grow in intimacy and experience of God. Persistence prayer of faith does not mean that we are to labor restlessly trying to get God’s attention. It is a humble and dependent posture of the soul which causes us to "cry out to him day and night."
It is faith which trusts God in the midst of uncertainty because he or she knows that God listens, God cares and God attends to our cry for mercy.
Many of us look at God only as a mountain mover or a leprosy healer but not a caring silent listener. We need to slow down and engage, wrestle and commune with God in prayer.
We don’t pray because we see God as a “quick-fix” solution for our problems but we pray because we long for Him more than His blessings. We seek to glorify an enjoy Him which is the chief end of man.
It is my prayer that our sins will shout louder to us than our needs. When that happens then we can persevere in our prayers trustingly especially when God is silent.
May He come and find such faith among the children of men.
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