APRIL 21, 2026

  "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!” 

― John Wesley

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 

Following the death of King Saul, one might reasonably expect that David’s rise to the throne would unfold smoothly. Instead, what followed was a prolonged season of conflict. The struggle between his house and Saul’s did not weaken him. It strengthened him. The resistance, the waiting, the uncertainty all became the very things that formed his character and deepened his capacity to lead.

There is a pattern here that is easy to miss but impossible to ignore once seen. Growth is often forged in tension, not comfort. Strength is not built in ease but in endurance.

This same truth shows up in the teaching of Jesus through the story of the persistent widow. Her strength was not in power or position but in refusal to quit. She kept showing up. She kept asking. She kept pressing forward. That kind of persistence reveals something deeper than determination. It reveals belief. It shows a heart convinced that what it is pursuing matters enough to keep going.

That is the posture we are called to live with. Not passive. Not distracted. Not easily discouraged. But steady, focused, and anchored in faith.

The world often points us in a different direction. It tells us the goal is comfort. That we are working toward a life where struggle disappears and ease takes over. But that vision falls short of what we were created for. We are not designed for a life of avoidance. We are built for engagement. For meaningful effort. For stepping into problems and bringing light, truth, and love into them.

There is rest, yes. There is peace. But those are not the destination. They are the byproduct of walking closely with God. They are found along the way, not at the end of escape from difficulty.

What sustains us is not the absence of hardship but the presence of God within it. Even in the darkest valleys, there is a steady reassurance that we are not alone. That we are being led, shaped, and strengthened.

A life of faith is not about coasting. It is about showing up with courage. Continuing when it would be easier to stop. Trusting that every challenge carries purpose. And believing that through it all, God is forming something deeper, stronger, and more aligned with who we were created to be.

Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell where you are planted. Find your joy in Him. And trust that what He is shaping in you is far greater than what comfort alone could ever produce.

 

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.

PSALM 37:3-4