October 31 - Luke 17-18: He Will Not Drag His Feet

Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit... 

Then the Master said, "Do you hear what the judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won't step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won't he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?" (18:1, 6-8)

I confess that there are some difficult people and situations that I've quit praying for. Nothing ever seems to change, I am weary, and frankly, I just want to quit thinking about them. So I stop praying, saying that it's in God's hands.

While that's technically true, I'm recognizing the unbelief in my statement. In reality, I just don't think these particular people or situations will ever change. It's not that God can't do it; I've given up hope that these people will allow God to change them.

As I type this, I realize I'm totally splitting hairs because God can and does change people's resistant hearts. I'm using it as an excuse to move on and quit hoping for things that aren't happening because my heart can't take the disappointment anymore.

I'm challenged by Jesus' words - What makes you think God won't step in and work justice? He will not drag his feet.

I've tried to over-spiritualize my sinful unbelief by letting God off the hook; "it's actually the people's fault, you see." Right-o. In my own twisted way, I don't truly believe that God will step in. In my mind, He has dragged His feet because things haven't changed in my timing, as if I know what's best. Ugh.

Lord, help my unbelief! May You give me the faith to trust that You don't drag Your feet.

"The widow at prayer puts the weakest and least influential people on equal footing with the recognized power figures in society...Prayer, which is simply a conversation with God, isn't conversation regulated by social or class distinctions...[All are] peers with equal access to God. 

Then Jesus steps out of the story and asks us a question, especially those of us who have gotten so used to not being listened to by anyone of importance that we've quit asking God for what we need. What Jesus asks is this: "How much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns? 

Will you and I finally give up and quit praying because the deaf ear of the world has so flattened our expectations of being heard by God? Or will we have the kind of persistent faith the widow had?"       

Eugene Peterson, Conversations, pg. 1620