LIBERATED OUT OF EXCUSES INTO COURAGE

Luke 18 : 1 -8 - Then He spoke a parable to
them , that men always ought to pray and not
lose heart saying : "There was in a certain city
a judge who did not fear God nor regard
man . Now there was a widow in that city;
and she came to him , saying , ' Get justice for
me from my adversary . '
And he would not for a while , but afterward
he said within himself , ' Though I do not fear
God nor regard man , yet because this widow
troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her
continual coming she weary me . '"
Then the Lord said , "Hear what the unjust
judge said . And shall God not avenge His
own elect who cry out day and night to Him ,
though He bears long with them ? I tell you
that He will avenge them speedily,
nevertheless ,when the Son of Man comes ,
will He really find faith on the earth?"
Jesus challenges our modern traditions . He
asks, " When the Son of Man comes , will He
find faith on the earth ?" His question is a
warning to Christians who would limit the
power of God at the end of the age. Jesus is
calling us to resist the downward pull of our
traditions ; He is asking us individually , "Will I
find faith in you?
Jesus associates faith with "day and night "
prayer (Luke 18: 7) . He is not asking , "Will I
find correct doctrines in you?" The Lord' s
question does not so much concern itself
with our head as with our heart . What we
believe is important , but how we believe is
vital in securing the help of God .
Indeed, procuring the SUPERNATURAL HELP
OF GOD is exactly the point of Jesus ' parable
in Luke 18. His intent was to show that "at
all times " we "ought to pray and not to lose
heart" (verse 1) . To illustrate the quality of
faith He seeks , He followed His admonition
with a parable about a certain widow who
petitioned a hardened judge for "legal
protection " (verse 3 ) . Although the judge was
initially unwilling , yet by her "continually
coming" (verse 5) she gained what was
legally hers.
Jesus concluded by asking , if an unrighteous
judge will respond to a widow ' s persistence ,
"will not God bring about justice for His elect
who cry to Him day and night , and will He
delay long over them ?" Jesus said , " I tell you
that He will bring about justice for them
quickly" (verses 7- 8) .
DESPERATION PRODUCES CHANGE
It is significant that Jesus compared His
elect to a widow harassed by an enemy . The
image is actually liberating, for we tend to
conceptualize the heroes of the faith as
David or Joshua types – individuals whose
successes obscure their humble beginnings.
But each of God' s servants has, like the
widow, a former life that is brimming with
excuses and occasions to waver .
Look at the widow : She has legitimate
reasons to quit , but instead she prevails .
Indeed, she refuses to exempt herself from
her high potential simply because of her low
estate . She makes no apologies for her lack
of finances, knowledge, or charm. Giving
herself no reason to fail , she unashamedly
plants her case before the judge where she
pleads for and receives what is hers : legal
protection from her opponent.
DESPARATION - GOD' S HAMMER
How did a common widow gain such strength
of character ? We can imagine that there
must have been a time when , under the
relentless pressure of her adversary , she
became desperate , and desperation worked to
her advantage . DESPARATION is God ' s
hammer: it demolishes the stronghold of fear
and shatters the chains of our excuses .
When our desperation exceeds our fears ,
progress begins .
We can stay the course because of the
enabling of the strength of the Lord in us ! We
are strengthened deep within so that we
stand firm for the promises of the Lord for
our life . We lean into the Lord with deep
courage to believe for the impossible to be
possible.
Hebrews 10 : 23 - "Let us hold fast the
confession of our hope without wavering, for
He who promised is FAITHFUL ;"
Once we have endured the fire and have
received the passion , we must persevere .
Jesus didn' t quit at Gethsemane . He went all
the way to crucifixion! Once we ' ve sustained
the fiery furnace we can' t give up . We must
set our heart like flint, ready to go all the
way with God in what He is CALLING us to
do ( Gods PURPOSE for our life) .
Affirmations:
GOD HAS A GREAT DEAL FOR ME TO
POSSESS. MY TAKING POSSESSION WILL
REQUIRE GREAT FAITH AND PERSEVERANCE.
GOD IS CONTINUALLY PUTTING NEW
CHALLENGES BEFORE ME TO DEVELOP MY
FAITH AND PERSEVERANCE AT A DEEPER
LEVEL.
I REFUSE TO BURY THE INVESTMENT GOD
HAS MADE IN ME .
I PRESS TOWARDS THE MARK FOR THE
PRIZE OF THE HIGH CALLING OF GOD IN
CHRIST JESUS .