28th. September. 2022.Daily Devotions.
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?” Luke 18:6-8
When prayers go unanswered, it’s hard to envision that God may have his own timing about these things. In our pain, we may grow defensive and give up. We may doubt his goodness. Each day we go to him, and he doesn’t come through feels like more rejection.
We also live in a culture of immediate gratification. If we can’t get what we want, the moment we want it, we lose patience and try something else. We treat God like he’s Amazon.com—always available to provide exactly what we need; at the moment we need it. If we can’t get what we want, we assume it doesn’t exist at all and try something different.
Here, Jesus tells a parable of a widow who nags a judge incessantly until he finally gives her the justice she asks for. He doesn’t intend by this to suggest we can annoy God with our prayers to the point where he finally does what we ask. Our cries for justice don’t irritate him, and he isn’t going to do what he doesn’t intend to, regardless. Jesus’ point is that if even an unjust judge would do what is right purely to end the widow’s appeals, how much more will our heavenly Father respond to the cries of the children he loves dearly?
The question isn’t whether God loves us, or whether he will deliver justice and work all things out in his timing. He does, and he will. The real question is whether we will be faithful as we wait for him to do so. M. Cranford.
Help me to wait patiently for you, O Lord. Give me the faith to trust you no matter what life brings. Keep my eyes on you as you lead me through the difficulties I face. Amen.
Let our souls rejoice in your power, O God, and our hearts in your love. As our mouths are filled with your praise, may our lives testify to your grace. Sarah Crosby, Methodist Preacher (1729–1804)
To Keep God in Mind Today
Lord, let me begin today in devout meditation, in joy unspeakable, and in blessing and praising You, who has given me such good hope and everlasting consolation.
Raise my mind above all these little things below, which are apt to distract my thoughts; and keep it above, until my heart is fully resolved to seek You every day, in the path where Jesus has trod before me. Amen.
Prayer for Humility
Heavenly Father, who sent your Son to ride on an ass and to work as a simple carpenter: if you so humbled yourself to save me, how can I puff myself up with pride above others? Let me follow Christ’s example, never to inflate myself with pride of status, of opinion, or of any of the gifts you have bestowed upon me.
Give me the grace to realize my ignorance, admit my mistakes, recognize my needs. Let me welcome good advice and sound rebuke, without defensiveness. Grant me always to praise rather than criticize, sympathize rather than discourage, build rather than destroy, and when I am angry at the ignorance of another, to recall my own ignorance and remember that we are all your beloved children. Let my hope and glory be ever in you, and not in my own vanity. This I ask in Christ’s sake, Amen.
Meditation “They that anger you, control you. Give no one that type of power over you but be controlled instead by Him who loves you.”