Pray Continually for Justice

Have you experienced times of deep despair. Have you lost heart sometime during your life? Have you felt things were hopeless, that they would never turn around? How did you tackle those feelings? How did you approach life at that time? Did you spend time in prayer?

Trust can be difficult to give to some people. It can even be hard for us to trust God when it seems the entire world is against us. It those times of despair, when we lose heart, when we are ready to give up, is the time when we need to trust God more than ever.

Jesus tells a parable that emphasizes this point. In the parable, a widow has been accused of something. Jesus does not say what it is. However, based on the context, we can safely assume it was an unjust accusation. She continually goes before the judge asking for justice. Though the judge initially refuses, he finally relents because of the widow’s persistence.

Jesus says to listen to what the unjust judge says and then says that God will grant justice to his chosen ones who cry out to him continually. In other words, Jesus is saying we are to continue to pray for justice, mercy, grace, and God’s blessings. We are to pray always. Though this world is not fair and justice is often lacking, God will serve justice.

As we continue to pray to God for justice, we are not to lose heart. In other words, continue to trust God is just and will carry out his justice in his time. Jesus says that if we continue to ask God for justice, he will grant it quickly. The only thing we must remember is God’s view of quickly may be different than ours. It is important that we hold on to our faith, trusting God will grant justice.

I pray we all seek justice from God. I pray we know that God is just. I pray each one of us will continually pray, asking God to grant justice in our world and trust him to do so. Seek justice. Know that God is just. Pray continually. Ask God to grant justice. Trust God will grant justice.

Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.

Truth or Tickle

Are you listening to truth? Are you verifying what you hear or read is truth? Are you seeking to know the truth? Or do you prefer to hear what you want, what is pleasing, what makes you feel good? Will you seek out sound teaching? Do you understand the ramifications of turning away from truth?

We sometimes refer to hard truth, meaning truth we don’t want to hear or truth that comes at a cost to us. Though there are times when we must hear a hard truth, it typically comes after we have strayed away from the truth. It is what we need to hear to get back on the right path.

Sometimes I miss my days of serving in the Marine Corps. As Marines, we spoke truth to one another. It may be harsh and tactless, at times, because people’s lives were on the line. But we all knew we needed to hear that truth and obey the commands given. Even if the truth stung initially, we quickly rid ourselves of the sting, understanding the gravity of the situation.

One of the things I had to adapt to as I moved into corporate America was to soften the messages I spoke to employees and customers. There was an expectation to be politically tactful. We often joked, though with an understanding it was generally the way we operated, that the customer was always right. Unfortunately, that is not true. Just as children don’t always know they need to be told they are wrong, each of us need it at times.

We might think the Apostle Paul was prophesying about our current culture when he says people will turn away from truth and seek to hear what they want, even if it is lies. Yet, this is nothing new. Paul likely experienced in his day as well. Pursuing truth is not always easy. Speaking truth is not always easy. But it is only when we hear and know the truth that we can make correct decisions. If the truth upsets us, we are likely seeking our own selfish desires and falling for lies.

I pray we all seek to know the truth. I pray we turn away from the lies we hear in our society today. I pray each one of us seek sound teaching and live by the truth of the Word of God. Seek the truth. Seek sound teaching. Turn away from lies. Live by the truth of God.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound teaching, but, having their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths.

Continual Learning

Do you like to teach or instruct others? Do you like to learn, seeking to become a better you? Are you a reader, someone who always has a book or two that you are reading? Are you patient when teaching others? Are you willing to correct someone tactfully, yet firmly?

Instructing, teaching, and correcting others is a worthwhile effort. We do not need to be in the teaching profession to do so. On the other hand, being willing to be instructed, taught, and corrected is an important quality we all need. None of us can know everything nor can we always be correct.

A lesson I learned while working in the IT profession is that I could not know everything there was to know. Not only could I not know everything, but I was not the only one who had an idea about how to tackle a specific problem. It was through discussion and asking questions that we collectively would come to the best solution. This concept applies to many of our professions.

That concept also applies to our walk with Christ. Each of us has had different experiences with God working in our lives. We have each experienced Scripture coming alive to us in different situations. Sitting down to discuss God’s Word, rereading it, listening to one another, and being willing to learn is how we mature in our faith.

As the Apostle Paul tells Timothy, Scripture is inspired by God. God’s Word is useful to us, if we are willing to learn from it. But to learn from it, we must give up our preconceived notions. Through my own study, I have discovered that some things I was taught when I was younger were incorrect. I wouldn’t have discovered that if I had not be willing to read Scripture and study with an open mind and truly seeking to gain a deeper understanding.

I pray we all seek to continue to learn. I pray we spend time reading and discussing God’s Word. I pray each one of us approach Scripture with an open mind and dig deeper to better understand. Seek to learn. Read God’s Word. Discuss God’s Word. Have an open mind. Dig deeper to understand.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the person of God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

Constant Companion

What would you give to be wise? Do you desire to be wise? Do you want to be wiser than your enemies? Have you considered what it requires of you so you can be wise? Are you willing to do what is needed to be wise? Do you know it is available to you? Will you meditate on God’s Word?

Being wise is something most people want, but they don’t always desire it. They want it to be given to them. They don’t want to do what it takes to become wise. To be wise requires work, study, and relying on God. Many people are willing to do of them, and maybe two, but rare is the person willing to do all three.

There are a lot of hard-working people in the world. There are many people who study and study and study. There are some people who will rely on God for some things, but very few who will rely on God for everything. It is that third stipulation that trips so many people up. Rather than fully relying on God for everything, they keep back part of their lives to control themselves.

To be wise, we must meditate on God’s Word. Not only study it but dig into it to understand the meaning of it and work to connect all the dots. It is a lifetime of work. And while we are studying and working, we must rely on God to reveal himself to us in his Word. It is when we put the three components together that we become wise. It doesn’t come quickly, but it will come. It isn’t easy, but it is worth it.

Once we have ingested God’s Word through diligent study and prayerfully asking God to reveal its meaning to us, it never leaves us. It will remain with us for the rest of our lives. We will recall it when the need arises, even if we don’t quote it verbatim. It will guide us in our decision-making. It will guide us in conversation and advice giving. It will be our constant companion.

I pray we all desire to be wise. I pray we choose to study and meditate on God’s Word. I pray each one of us will ask God to reveal the meaning of his Word and keep it as our constant companion. Desire to be wise. Choose to study. Choose to meditate on God’s Word. Ask God to reveal himself.

Psalm 119:97-98

Oh, how I love your law! 

It is my meditation all day long. 

Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, 

for it is always with me.

God Plans the Future

How far in advance do you plan? Do you plan a vacation several months in advance? Do you make hotel reservations a year in advance? Do you make dinner reservations weeks in advance? Have you planned your next trip, holiday festivities, or even your next haircut?

I used to plan several weeks and months ahead. Some of that was due to not having the internet and a cell phone. That may sound strange but having them at my fingertips allows me to do things quickly. There is no longer a need to send a letter in the mail and wait for an answer.

As I observe people today, I see the same phenomenon all around. Many people are making last minute decisions. It is rare to hear someone speak of plans for several months out, let alone someone having a five- or ten-year plan. Sure, there certain things planned, such as weddings and vacations, a year or more out. But I often have people approach me wanting to schedule my time on the same day and hear people being upset that they can’t get in to see a doctor on the same day.

God plans centuries ahead. He spoke through the prophet Jeremiah approximately six-hundred years before Jesus came to earth promising he was going to make a new covenant. Not only was the prophecy about Jesus coming to make the new covenant but it also pointing to eternity. God states we will know him, meaning not just know about him but know him fully.

I pray we all understand that God has planned the future. I pray we trust God’s plan is good. I pray each one of us know God forgives us of our sins and increase our love for him because of it. God has planned the future. God’s plan is good. Your sins are forgiven. Love God for his amazing grace.

Jeremiah 31:33-34 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more.

God at Work

Have you experienced a back and forth of good and bad? Did you wonder when the seesaw would end? Were you wishing there was something you could do to stabilize yourself? Did you consider God was in control? Did you look forward to God turning it all to your good?

The Israelites had been through the good and the bad. They had promised to follow God’s commands and had. But they also disobeyed and faced God’s punishment. God had seen it all and withstood it all. God also has seen the entire future and knew what he planned.

The prophet Jeremiah received God’s prophecy for the future. God told Jeremiah he was going to restore Israel. He stated they would once again be prosperous. They were going to be watched over by God. He was going to build them up again. He was going to plant and reap what he planted with Israel. There is no doubt God was looking forward to the time he would send his Son to save the world.

We sometimes forget that God is looking at not just today or tomorrow but years, hundreds of years, and thousands of years into the future. His plan is laid out before him. He moves the pieces he needs to move to accomplish it. We don’t see all the pieces. We don’t know all the moves. All we can do is trust God will execute his plan and it will work for the good.

I pray we all see how God has worked in the past for the good of his people. I pray we know we cannot see all that God is doing. I pray each one of us trust God is always at work to execute his plan. See how God has worked. Trust God is always working. Trust in God’s plan.

Jeremiah 31:27-28 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of humans and the seed of animals. And just as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring evil, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the Lord.

Are You Listening?

How well do you listen? When you are in conversation, do you really listen to the other person or are you formulating your response? Are you missing meaning in your conversation due to not listening well? Are you listening for God to speak to you?

We often see, hear, or experience people who do not listen well. In many cases, due to the lack of listening, conversations are misunderstood. Sometimes, the misunderstanding turns into disgruntlement or anger with the other party.

I cannot begin to count the number of conversations I have overheard in which one person or another has interrupted someone else. Unfortunately, the interruption can become a point of contention and disgruntlement on the part of the one being interrupted. Not only that, but it makes it difficult for the person speaking to get their point across without it being disjointed and difficult to understand.

The same can be true when we listen to God. Our listening may include reading Scripture. But do we read it to understand to interrupt it with our perspective? Our perspective may or may not be correct. We are better served to listen for God’s meaning.

Our listening may also include God speaking to us in a still small voice. He may be directing us to do something we don’t believe we can. We interrupt to dispute his calling. Yet, God does not call us to something for which he will not provide what we need to accomplish it. God will speak to us, if we are listening for him to do so.

I pray we all listen attentively to one another. I pray we choose to not interrupt one another. I pray each one of us will listen for God to speak to us and not interrupt him with our personal perspective. Listen to one another. Listen for God to speak. Follow God’s guidance. Accept God’s call to you.

1 Samuel 3:10 Now the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

Stand Strong

Do you walk a fine line? Do you attempt to balance your life between two desires? Do you attempt to spend equal time with family and your job? Do you seek to help those on the margins while maintaining your standing with your friends? How is that going for you?

Straddling the fence, walking the line, being caught in the middle is tough. It is especially tough when we desire to help those on the margins while continuing to hang out with the same friends we have had for years. It is harder if our friends believe those on the margins don’t deserve our help.

Though the disciples had seen Jesus perform many miracles and heard many of His teachings, they still had their prejudices. As Jews, they did not like Samaritans. Jesus walked along the border. Galilee on one side and Samaria on the other. No doubt the disciples looked in disgust toward Samaria. They likely did not like the idea of walking along the border.

It got worse for the disciples. They, along with Jesus, were approached by ten men. Based on the rest of the story, most if not all of them were Jews except one. That one was a Samaritan and Jesus would interact with him. The disciples would have been appalled, just as they were when Jesus interacted with the woman at the well.

Our friends may feel the same way if we interact with the homeless, sick, someone from a different culture, or whomever they consider offensive. Knowing we are faced with such potential opposition from our friends, we may decide to forgo pursuing our desire to help. It is only with the strength and courage given to us by the Holy Spirt that we can follow in Jesus’s footsteps, helping those on the margins without our friends’ support.

I pray we all choose to follow in Jesus’s footsteps. I pray we lean on the Holy Spirit for the strength and courage we need. I pray each one of us will help those on the margins in our society. Follow Jesus. Lean on the Holy Spirit. Help those on the margins. Stand strong.

Luke 17:11 On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee.

Eternal Reign

What life and death decision have you made? Think you haven’t made one? What if you made one without knowing it? What if you made one but didn’t recognize it? What if your decision not only meant life but meant you would reign alongside the King of kings?

We don’t typically think we make life and death decisions. We think those decisions are made by other people, especially the military, law enforcement, and criminals. That line of thinking is true, but only if we are thinking about our physical life on this earth.

We all, every-single-person, make a life and death decision at least once. We decide to accept God’s gift of eternal life by accepting his Son, Jesus Christ, as our Lord and Savior, or we choose eternal separation from God, also known as death. If we choose life, we also choose to be conquerors and reign with Jesus Christ forever.

We may not always be faithful, but we can count on Jesus always being faithful. We may occasionally stumble, but He does not. We may make mistakes, but He doesn’t. Our inability to follow Jesus does not impact His ability to remain true to His Word. His very nature is to be truth. His truth is not just for today but is everlasting.

The best news we can hear is that we have gained eternal life, no matter what happens to us in this life. That eternal life is perfect, amazing, beyond comprehension, and forever. Though we may not think about it often, we should remind ourselves regularly that we have something that can never be taken away from us, something that is far better than anything we can imagine, far greater than anything on this earth.

I pray we all realize we make a life and death decision. I pray we choose eternal life. I pray each one of us choose to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and know that He is always true to His Word. Life and death decision. Choose eternal life. Accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Trust in His truth.

2 Timothy 2:11b-13

If we have died with him, we will also live with him; 

if we endure, we will also reign with him; 

if we deny him, he will also deny us; 

if we are faithless, he remains faithful— 

he cannot deny himself.

Ancestry or Gospel

What do you know about your ancestors? How far back can you trace your heritage? Can you trace it back to Europe or Africa or the Middle East? Did you know your great grandparents? Do you know where they lived? Have you traced the migration of your ancestors?

Some of us are interested in our ancestry and others are not. Some of us will spend hours going over the migration path of our ancestors and others could not care less. Regardless of whether we enjoy looking at our ancestry or not, without them we would not be here now.

Though our heritage is important in many ways, it does not have to define us. We may come from a family of poor people and achieve great things. We may have some horrible people in our ancestry tree and be good people. Though the genetics passed down to us does define us in one aspect, it doesn’t completely define us nor keep us from making the right decision.

The Jews and the early Christians speak of Jesus being the son of David. However, if you look at the lineage provided in both Matthew and Luke, both of them trace the ancestry to Joseph. Now, we all know that Joseph was not really Jesus’s father. Mary was a virgin and impregnated by the power of God (Luke 1:35). Yet, the Jews traced heritage by the husband in their patriarchal society.

When the Apostle Paul writes to young Timothy, he references Jesus as a descendant of David. But more importantly, he states that he suffers for the gospel’s sake. It is due to his spreading the news of Jesus that he has been chained by human authorities. Are we willing to be chained for the sake of the gospel? I dare say most of us are not. Yet, we should be willing to go to our death, if need be, to tell others about Jesus. Quite simply, He is that important. The eternal life of others is that important.

I pray we all credit our ancestors for our being here. I pray we understand Jesus is the Son of God. I pray each one of us is willing to put our lives on the line to spread the good news of the gospel. Know Jesus is the Son of God. Tell others about Jesus. Be willing to suffer for Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:8-9 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel, for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained.