“The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That’s real glory. That’s the essence of it.” ~ Lombardi
How often do we consider giving up? When do the odds against us seem overwhelming? When does it seem that nobody cares? Is the answer to these questions ‘almost every day?’ It can seem that way when our view of life is only what we perceive.
But what if we could see through God’s eyes? Even better… what if we could just trust that He has everything under control and is at work pushing aside what corrupts, allowing ‘good’ to shine through?
I have been intrigued by the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18. Her tenacity captivates me, realizing that it is what she knows that drives her and not the character of the ‘unjust judge’. Often in class there are those students who want to arbitrarily state there is no right or wrong. They get very frustrated when I ask them “how do they know that?”, or “by what standard do they make that judgment?” They don’t realize that their frustration with the possibility of a different answer, making their statement false, is evidence enough that they are wrong. We make thousands of judgments a day, most concerning the right way and the wrong way to do something. In doing so, we are living out the idea of Justice… or ‘that which brings order’. For instance, driving down the left side of the road would be poor judgment, bringing about chaos. But when we operate within the limitations of what is ‘just’ or ‘right’, we can be confident in our judgments and our expectations of what is ‘good.’ The widow in the parable knew that she was on the side of Justice, and it was this confidence that enabled her to come time after time, wearing down the judge, not with her nagging, but with the ‘truth.’
You too can be this confident in your prayer and belief in God. God is Good, and you can be assured of this ‘goodness’ if you would just read and apply His Word. We falter and fail, becoming frustrated because we take our eyes off Jesus and His Word, and look down at our mere existence. Look up and find hope!
The widow knew that God is Good and therefore would bring about justice for her, regardless if it was in this life or in His very presence before His throne. I pray you know Him this way too… causing your confidence in Him to soar on the wings of eagles.
Choose wisely…
“Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:28-31)
Written by David Brown: David Brown is a husband, father, grandfather, Pastor with a Masters of Religious Studies and a Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Religions. Dave is the Associate Pastor of Pemberton’s First Baptist Church. He is the author of two devotional books, “From a Chair by the Window.” And “#PrayerWinsThe Day”.
