Faith

When I come will I find faith on the earth?  Why do you think Jesus would make this statement in this parable?  Read what it says in Luke 18:1-8, “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ And the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’”

Why do you think Jesus said what He said in verse 8?  What was the difference about this woman in the parable compared to many other people?

1. She was determined so she kept coming back 

2. She was persistent, not going to take no for an answer, she was not giving up

3. She had grit, she had boldness and courage

4. She had faith that she would get her way in the end

This judge wasn’t afraid of God or man.  It doesn’t say this so this is my interjection; I can picture this judge showing his aggravation towards this woman, if this were a real setting but he was not going to discourage this lady even if he showed a disgusted attitude to her.  This reminds me of this saying, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.”  Because of all these attributes, the lady got her petition answered and was vindicated.

I think the reason Jesus made the statement He made in verse 8 was that people today seem to get discouraged so easily and give up.  We live in a microwave world, where we are used to getting things very fast.  Remember when we come before the Judge of all the earth that He is loving, merciful and kind and He is also just, unlike the judge in this parable.  Many of us seem to lack the determination, persistence, grit, boldness and faith of this widow in the parable.

It says this in Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

True believers have access to the throne of God through His beloved Son Jesus Christ so we can go to Him boldly with our request and we can be sure He hears us.  Think of how many times you have gone to the Lord with a petition     haphazardly with no faith at all or how many selfish prayers have you prayed.  I don’t think this was the kind of petitioning Jesus was talking about.

Read what it says in Matthew 7:7-13, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.”

Too many times we lay our petitions before the Lord and we don’t receive right away so we give up and say it must not be God’s will for us.  Be careful, that may just be a cop out.  I thought that about my asthma for a long period of time, then one day I was praying in my bedroom by myself about more than one aliment that I had at the time and I heard this voice in my mind say, “Jerry if you were to be healed of one of these things what would you want to be healed of?”  So I picked the asthma.  I haven’t had an asthma attack in about 8 years now, praise the Lord, and I had that disease for more than 60 years, very severely.  I always thought it was God’s will that I had that aliment but it wasn’t.

I want to encourage you to not give up because you next prayer may be the one that God answers.  Something to think about!  May you have a super day and may God bless you and yours with His peace, love and joy!!  Don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord!!