Will He delay to help them?
We all know the story of the persistent widow. But do we remember why Jesus told the story? It was to show how we must ask God for justice.
”He then told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not become discouraged:
Will not God grant justice to His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay to help them?“
In the story, God is the unrighteous judge and we are the widow. We must continue in prayer for justice in our lives and the lives of the people around us. We talked about this a few chapters ago in Luke 11 (read it here). But here is a caution. Be careful what you pester God with you will get it and it will be for your benefit but you may not like how you get it. If we are asking in pride God will let us get it and then use it to humble us.
”You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your evil desires.“
”Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.“
John 14:13-14 HCSB
Later in Luke 18, we find a blind man who was persistent in asking Jesus for his sight. He was told by the crowd to be quiet but he kept on asking. Finally, Jesus stops and heals him because of his persistence. He could have shut up when the crowd of doubters came but he encouraged himself to keep asking Jesus to heal him.
Do you have a dream God has told you that He would fulfill? Keep reminding Him about it until He tells you to stop or He gives it to you. Do you have injustice in your life? Keep asking Him for your justice until He tells you to stop or He gives you your justice. Do you have a need that is not fulfilled keep asking Him until He tells you to stop or He fulfills it.
”Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself. Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures, because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.“
2 Corinthians 12:7b-10 HCSB
”So I say to you, keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.“
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