"But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? O be not weary of well doing!”
2 SAMUEL 1-3
1The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker(3:1)
LUKE 18:1-27
1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
4“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ”
6And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I 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?”
JOURNAL
After Saul's death it would seem that things would get easier for David or maybe even that he would be handed the kingdom. However that's not the way it happened, in fact David had to engage in a long bloody war with Saul's descendants. Yet he continued to get stronger. For adversity did not weaken him but rather made him better.
This is what Jesus speaks of when telling the parable of the widow. She never backed down and persisted and ultimately got what she needed and wanted. True dedication and persistence only happen when our hearts are undivided. Jesus tells this parable to remind us that we are to be dedicated and relentless in whatever endeavor God leads us. He promises that if we will persist undaunted he will reward us.
Our culture holds out rest, vacation and retirement as the ultimate goals of life. This is such a lie. We do not exist for pleasure, we exist to engage in the conflict of this world and come out victorious. Our purpose is to spend our lives working for God, solving problems, loving others, giving, sacrificing...these are the ingredients of a well-lived life. It can be confusing because God does promise rest and "safe pasture", but that is a by-product of following him. The real reward is that he dwells in us as we take on the adversity of this world. He is with us and never leaves us...the 23rd Psalm says it best.
"The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley,I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
3Trust in the Lord and do good;dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.4Take delight in the Lord,and he will give you the desires of your heart.
This is what Jesus speaks of when telling the parable of the widow. She never backed down and persisted and ultimately got what she needed and wanted. True dedication and persistence only happen when our hearts are undivided. Jesus tells this parable to remind us that we are to be dedicated and relentless in whatever endeavor God leads us. He promises that if we will persist undaunted he will reward us.
Our culture holds out rest, vacation and retirement as the ultimate goals of life. This is such a lie. We do not exist for pleasure, we exist to engage in the conflict of this world and come out victorious. Our purpose is to spend our lives working for God, solving problems, loving others, giving, sacrificing...these are the ingredients of a well-lived life. It can be confusing because God does promise rest and "safe pasture", but that is a by-product of following him. The real reward is that he dwells in us as we take on the adversity of this world. He is with us and never leaves us...the 23rd Psalm says it best.
"The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley,I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
PSALM 37:3-4
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