Bible devotionals

Anointed for Beauty

Posted on by Betsy

On April 15, 2019, Parisians awoke to the horrible news that their beloved Notre Dame Cathedral was burning. A fire had broken out under the eaves and the roof and spire were engulfed in flames. It took another day for firefighters to contain the conflagration, but thankfully they were able to move and rescue the precious relics contained inside. It took a full five years to restore the cathedral, and one can imagine the joy of the re-opening on December 7, 2021. As I read of the news of the completed restoration, I was reminded of how much God loves to rebuild things and bring beauty from ashes.

Isaiah 61 is a prophetic writing of the work of the coming Messiah, outlining the role and the duties of Christ when he would come in due time. You will remember that Jesus once went into a synagogue and opened a scroll to Isaiah and read verses 1 and 2. He then proclaimed “today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” and sat down. (see Luke 4: 16-22.)

Isaiah 61 (Common English Bible)

 The Lord God’s spirit is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me.

Isn’t it interesting that Jesus, who was the embodiment of the Holy Trinity, still needed the anointing of God’s spirit to do his work on earth? How much more, then, do we need the Holy Spirit to do ours? The word anoint simply means to be filled up with God’s spirit. We are anointed to go out as God’s workers to do God’s will. According to 1 John 2:20, all believers are anointed to offer the Truth to the world. What are you filled up with today? Is your heart set on bringing good news, or are you taken up with anger, petty grievances, disenchantment, or frustration? Listen to what filled Jesus up:
He has sent me
    to bring good news to the poor,
    to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim release for captives,
        and liberation for prisoners,
2     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

This is where Jesus stopped reading. It is an important statement: He accepted the anointing of his mission to bring good news to the poor, relieve the oppression of the brokenhearted and those imprisoned by sin, and set us free … but his mission to herald in the day of God’s vindication won’t happen until his Second Coming. The space between these two sentences is at least 2,000 years long and counting … so far.

and a day of vindication for our God,
    to comfort all who mourn,
3     to provide for Zion’s mourners,
    to give them a crown in place of ashes,
    oil of joy in place of mourning,
    a mantle of praise in place of discouragement.
They will be called Oaks of Righteousness,
    planted by the Lord to glorify himself.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins;
    they will restore formerly deserted places;
    they will renew ruined cities,
    places deserted in generations past.

We can take hope in the fact that God has always been in the rebuilding business. Remember Nehemiah? God longs right now to rebuild us into people who wear garments of praise, who are adorned with the oil of gladness, and who sport a crown of beauty where ashes used to sit. Like Notre Dame, we will arise from those ashes as a testament to God’s love and grace. So take heart! Vindication is coming. In the meantime, we have work to do.

A Mantle of Praise by Becca Ziegler

Dressed in Joy

Posted on by Betsy

Did you know that John Wesley wrote seven specific instructions about how to sing? You can find them in the beginning of the United Methodist Hymnal. His directives include things like learning hymns before other types of songs, singing in time with those around you every chance you get, and singing spiritually by focusing your attention on God. The list is an outline for Wesley’s theology of the methodical aspect of Methodism. But my favorite is number four, which commands us to not sing as though we are half dead:

IV. Sing lustily and with good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan.

Lusty singing might have been on David’s mind when he penned Psalm 30. This psalm was a celebration for the dedication of David’s palace and is a lyrical statement of God’s intervening love for David over the course of David’s life. In this moment of dedicating the elaborate palace built on a hill in Jerusalem, David rightfully gave God all the credit for his successes and survival.

Psalm 30 (Common English Bible)

30 I exalt you, Lord, because you pulled me up;
    you didn’t let my enemies celebrate over me.
2 Lord, my God, I cried out to you for help,
    and you healed me.
3 Lord, you brought me up from the grave,
    brought me back to life from among those going down to the pit.

4 You who are faithful to the Lord,
    sing praises to him;
    give thanks to his holy name!
5 His anger lasts for only a second,
    but his favor lasts a lifetime.
Weeping may stay all night,
    but by morning, joy!

Have you ever wept all night, exhausted with grief? I have. And yet as I sit here and write this, I am okay. Morning may not follow exactly 6-8 hours after weeping all night, but eventually a morning of joy will return, even as we carry that grief in a small place in our hearts. What joy to know that God brings comfort in the morning of our mourning!

6 When I was comfortable, I said,
    “I will never stumble.”
7 Because it pleased you, Lord,
    you made me a strong mountain.
But then you hid your presence.
    I was terrified.
8 I cried out to you, Lord.
    I begged my Lord for mercy:
9 “What is to be gained by my spilled blood,
    by my going down into the pit?
Does dust thank you?
    Does it proclaim your faithfulness?
10 Lord, listen and have mercy on me!
    Lord, be my helper!”

Our relationship with God can change with comfort. When we are satisfied with life, it is easy to take God and all God’s benefits for granted. I was describing a wicked bout of flu with a friend, and he remarked, “I realize when I am that sick that I take a normal day of good health for granted.” That stuck with me, so every morning I wake up and feel okay I try to praise God that I’m not sick. But discomfort quickly brings out my need for God’s intervention, as it did with David.

11 You changed my mourning into dancing.
    You took off my funeral clothes
        and dressed me up in joy
12     so that my whole being
    might sing praises to you and never stop.
Lord, my God, I will give thanks to you forever.

God can change our mourning into dancing. Our funeral clothes can be removed so that we are dressed in joy. God does this so that our whole being can sing praises and never stop. Or, as John Wesley prescribed, so that we can “sing lustily.”

So go and be lusty today! Sing of God’s goodness to all who will hear.

Sing a Song of Gladness by Michelle Robertson

Disappointment

Posted on by Betsy

Oh, the joys and frustrations of being a brand new three-year-old! We recently celebrated the third birthday of our youngest twins with a wonderful morning at an indoor trampoline park followed by lunch at their favorite restaurant, Jolly Roger. The pirate theme and great kid’s menu make this a perfect place for a family outing, especially when it is someone’s (or sometwo’s) birthday(s). Our girl twin rolled with all the punches and enjoyed every minute. Our boy twin did too, playing endless games of peek-a-boo with the pirate hostess while he announced to everyone who passed, “It my BIRTDAY!!” Each child was given a pirate duck to play with, and finally our entrees arrived. Young Master looked at the pancake on his plate, knotted his eyebrows in disappointment and asked loudly, “Why I not eating CAKE???”

To be perfectly honest, I have said the same thing when sitting down to a nice, healthy, kale salad.

We were able to alleviate his momentary disappointment by assuring him that cake would come later, which it did, presented by singing pirate waitresses. They asked the kids if they wanted to hear “Happy Birthday” sung backwards, and I was so intrigued, I also voted yes. So they turned their backs to us and sang it.

Today we read about the disappointment of an army general named Naaman, who was afflicted with leprosy. He commanded Syria’s armies and was very important to King Ben-Hadad. Naaman was so important, in fact, that Ben-Hadad sent a letter to Israels’ King Jehoram asking for healing. But Jehoram was a king who did “evil in the sight of the Lord” and thus had no relationship with the God who could heal Naaman. Jehoram sent Naaman off to the prophet Elisha, knowing that this was his only hope for recovery.

2 Kings 5:9-14

9 Naaman arrived with his horses and chariots. He stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent out a messenger who said, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored and become clean.”

You can imagine the indignation that Naaman felt at being received by a mere messenger. Here he was in all his regalia, with his war horses and chariots, and this Hebrew prophet elected not to greet him.

11 But Naaman went away in anger. He said, “I thought for sure that he’d come out, stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the bad spot, and cure the skin disease.12 Aren’t the rivers in Damascus, the Abana  and the Pharpar, better than all Israel’s waters? Couldn’t I wash in them and get clean?” So he turned away and proceeded to leave in anger.

Naaman’s anger at the brushoff was fierce. But look again at what he said in verse 11. He assumed that Elisha could just “wave his hand over the bad spot” and cure him. I wonder how many times we expect God to just wave a hand over a bad spot in our lives so that we can just go on with things? Do you ever pray for the easy way out instead of asking God to partner with you in your healing? Addicts will tell you that recovery is a lot of hard work and there is no such thing as a wave of the hand to fix things. The same applies to physical illness, grief, financial hardships, relationship troubles, etc. God invites us to do our part in finding the way. We would never learn or grow if we always got the easy way out.

13 Naaman’s servants came up to him and spoke to him: “Our father, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? All he said to you was, ‘Wash and become clean.’” 14 So Naaman went down and bathed in the Jordan seven times, just as the man of God had said. His skin was restored like that of a young boy, and he became clean.

The servants were wise in challenging Naaman. Truly if Elisha had given him a hard task to reverse his leprosy, he would have gladly done it. His sense of entitlement was misplaced, and he knew it.

Is God calling you to do the work of turning your situation around? Are you being told to go wash and get clean? Confession and repentance are the things that bring the cleansing of forgiveness. When you approach God with a humble attitude and willingness to work, you will never be disappointed.

Wash and be Cleaned by Michelle Robertson

Second-Hand Faith

Posted on by Betsy

Have you ever felt like your provisions have run out? Have you run out of patience, out of luck, out of energy, out of hope, or out of strength? Has something depleted your jar? 

Some of us feel drained because of addiction, a bad marriage, a rebellious teenager, a financial worry, etc. If this is you, listen up: This Scripture from 1 Kings is a reminder that when you put your trust in God, your jar will be filled to overflowing and you will never run out again. 

 Elijah’s story is set against the backdrop of the reign of the evil Ahab, king of the northern Israel. King Ahab was an idolater who worshiped false gods. God sent Elijah to Ahab to tell him that a drought was coming because of Ahab’s sin. Indeed, the drought that came lasted over three years.

 It was during this time that Elijah approached a widow for a meal, and she responded that she has nothing baked, and only enough meal and oil for one last supper. You see, she was so focused on her scarcity that she could not see the abundance that was standing right before her. She could not see that this Man of God had been sent directly to her for some purpose:

1 Kings 17: 8-16

8 The Lord’s word came to Elijah: 9 Get up and go to Zarephath near Sidon and stay there. I have ordered a widow there to take care of you. 10 Elijah left and went to Zarephath. As he came to the town gate, he saw a widow collecting sticks. He called out to her, “Please get a little water for me in this cup so I can drink.” 11 She went to get some water. He then said to her, “Please get me a piece of bread.”

12 “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any food; only a handful of flour in a jar and a bit of oil in a bottle. Look at me. I’m collecting two sticks so that I can make some food for myself and my son. We’ll eat the last of the food and then die.”

13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go and do what you said. Only make a little loaf of bread for me first. Then bring it to me. You can make something for yourself and your son after that. 14 This is what Israel’s God, the Lord, says: The jar of flour won’t decrease and the bottle of oil won’t run out until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.” 15 The widow went and did what Elijah said. So the widow, Elijah, and the widow’s household ate for many days. 16 The jar of flour didn’t decrease nor did the bottle of oil run out, just as the Lord spoke through Elijah.

Do you ever find yourself focusing on what you lack, rather than what God provides? When any kind of loss comes into our lives, it is easy to focus on what we don’t have, rather than what God will provide. The widow discovered that God provides for us in ways that we might never expect, and God uses ordinary people and ordinary things. 

 I think part of the widow’s struggle was based on the fact that she had a second-hand faith. Did you notice her response when Elijah asked for a piece of bread? Look at verse 12:  “She said, “I swear, as surely as your God lives, I don’t have so much as a biscuit.” As surely as your God lives. Not as my God lives, not as our God lives but as your God lives.

 She gives an intellectual assent to the existence of God, but has no personal relationship with God, calling him Elijah’s God. This is second-hand faith … God exists, but I don’t know him personally. There are people in our pews who don’t own their faith. They attend because of family pressure, societal expectations, or simply habit. But they haven’t made that crucial step of accepting Christ as their personal Savior.

Have you?

 No one should settle for a spiritual life that is a second-hand reflection of what someone else believes. When we give ourselves wholly to Jesus, we receive first-hand faith. God fills us up with grace that never runs out!

God Provides by Michelle Robertson

P.E.D.

Posted on by Betsy

I have a clergy friend who used to dread the week after Easter. He works primarily in music and drama ministries and has coined the phrase P.E.D. He feels that the worst part of Easter is the Post Easter Depression that falls on church folks. All the preparation and excitement of musicals, dramas, Easter egg hunts, special children’s sermons, the rush of Holy Week activities, etc. amp us up into a high frenzy of spiritual energy. When it is finally all over, a kind of confetti-scattered, chocolate-smeared, post-party-clean-up lethargy comes over us and we just want to sit still for a moment.

But when we catch our breath, we realize that Easter isn’t just a day. Indeed, Easter is a state of mind. It is an attitude. It is a lifestyle.

How interesting it is, then, to look back at the people who were present at the Resurrection. What effect did the Resurrection have on the culture of their time? How did Jesus’ followers react? What happened to them?

In the 4th chapter of Acts, Luke describes a radical, new Easter People:

Acts 4 (The Message)

32-33 The whole congregation of believers was united as one—one heart, one mind! They didn’t even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, “That’s mine; you can’t have it.” They shared everything. The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them.

If Easter is meant to do one thing, it is to unite believers. Easter calls us to be of one heart and one mind. Even more challenging, Easter calls us to share what we have with those who have not. That is our witness to the power of the resurrection. Easter People realize that it’s not about them, but rather it is about grace poured out unconditionally to everyone.

34-35 And so it turned out that not a person among them was needy. Those who owned fields or houses sold them and brought the price of the sale to the apostles and made an offering of it. The apostles then distributed it according to each person’s need.

Are you one of the Easter People? Where is God calling you to sacrifice and share with someone who is needy? What exactly does the resurrection mean to you? Are there needy people in your community who could experience grace through your generosity?

Let us strive to celebrate Easter all year by being the one-heart, one-mind kind of believers. Maybe this year we can turn our Post Easter Depression into People Eastering Deliberately.

He Is Risen in Me by Michelle Robertson

Missed Opportunities

Posted on by Betsy

Have you ever regretted a missed opportunity? Listen to this story of a huge missed opportunity.

When the popular streaming service Netflix began in 1997, they weren’t a website yet. Do you remember how Netflix began? They mailed DVDs to their subscribers in red envelopes, hoping to encroach on the popular business model known as Blockbuster. For you youngins, Blockbuster was a chain of stores where you could go to rent a video tape to watch at home. I have fond memories of our every Friday night trip to our local Blockbuster where the kids would choose two videos to watch over the weekend. When Netflix started, Blockbuster had over 9,000 stores. As Netflix was moving from their DVD mailing service into the unknown territory of starting up a “dot-com” business, they made an offer to sell their operation to Blockbuster. The Blockbuster executives laughed at the notion and rejected the deal. Now Netflix is a $150 billion dollar industry and as for Blockbuster? Busted.

Some would say that this was one of the greatest missed opportunities in recent history.

In our Scripture today, the great prophet Jeremiah wept over Israel’s greatest missed opportunity. God had established them as the chosen people, had given them the fertile Promised Land, and had established them as a strong and formidable nation against their adversaries. Yet in no time at all, they turned their hearts away from God and worshipped the false idols of their neighbors. Thus God allowed Babylon to conquer them and carry them away into exile.

Jeremiah 8 (Common English Bible)

No healing,
    only grief;
        my heart is broken.
19 Listen to the weeping of my people
        all across the land:
    “Isn’t the Lord in Zion?
        Is her king no longer there?”
Why then did they anger me with their images,
    with pointless foreign gods?
20 “The harvest is past,
    the summer has ended,
        yet we aren’t saved.”
21 Because my people are crushed,
    I am crushed;
    darkness and despair overwhelm me.

Their rejection of God resulted in what Jeremiah poetically called an empty harvest and a dry summer, leaving them with nothing to sustain themselves. There would be nothing coming to heal them of their self-inflicted wounds: No healing balm would be made available as they suffered the consequences of their actions. God had offered them multiple opportunities to return, and they missed every one.

22 Is there no balm in Gilead?
    Is there no physician there?
Why then have my people
    not been restored to health?

Are you missing out on an opportunity to be saved? Is God offering you a way out that you are refusing to take? God’s saving action plans often come in the hardship of giving things up, walking away from toxic relationships, stopping behaviors that are detrimental to your life, and choosing God above all things. These are hard things to do. But if the opportunity is from God, don’t miss it. It may be your only way out.

There’s Always a Way Out by Kathy Schumacher

Fill the House

Posted on by Betsy

If your life was a fragrance, what would it smell like? Would it be scented with florals of joy and contentment? Would it be like the salt air rushing through a car window going at high speed? Would it be a calming botanical? Would it smell like fear and stress? We all carry a ‘scent of being’ that is perceived by others … not an actual “smell” but an experience of presence. I have a colleague whose ‘scent’ might be described as steady sandalwood. His smooth and unhurried approach to life makes people relax in his presence. What is your life fragrance?

Today’s passage takes us to a time when the scent of a fragrant offering filled an entire house. The physical smell came from a jar of expensive perfume. But look to see the other scents that arose from the compassion of Mary and the treachery of Judas:

John 12 ( Common English Bible)

12 Six days before Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, home of Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Lazarus and his sisters hosted a dinner for him. Martha served and Lazarus was among those who joined him at the table. 3 Then Mary took an extraordinary amount, almost three-quarters of a pound, of very expensive perfume made of pure nard. She anointed Jesus’ feet with it, then wiped his feet dry with her hair. The house was filled with the aroma of the perfume. 4 Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), complained,5 “This perfume was worth a year’s wages! Why wasn’t it sold and the money given to the poor?” (6 He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He carried the money bag and would take what was in it.)

Mary’s love for Jesus was expressed in this extraordinarily expensive gift of pure nard. Both John and Mark use the adjective pistikos to describe this, suggesting that the oil had been extracted from the exotic pistachio nut. Perfumes and oils served as currency due to their value and portability. Mary’s act was a humble expression of her devotion to Jesus. When a guest arrived in a home, their feet were usually washed in water by a servant or slave. The head was then dabbed with a tiny portion of perfume. Mary’s extreme gift was given without any sense of self-consciousness: Jewish women never let their hair down in public, so her decision to use her hair as a towel was a true mark of her unabashed love for her Savior.

Judas, on the other hand, stunk of greed and deception. John carefully explained to us that Judas didn’t care for the poor but objected to the lovely act because he was a thief. The value of the perfume was one year’s worth of wages, 300 denarii, and we can imagine that with his objection he was calculating the cost of the waste and how much he could have skimmed for himself.

7 Then Jesus said, “Leave her alone. This perfume was to be used in preparation for my burial, and this is how she has used it. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you won’t always have me.”

Jesus reminds them, and us, that we always have an obligation to take care of the poor. There will always be poor people who need our help. But he would not take away from Mary’s prevenient burial anointing. The fragrance of her gift filled the house as a witness and testimony to her adoration.

What fragrance fills your house today? May it be pleasing to God.

Filled with Fragrance by Kathy Schumacher

Do Not Dwell

Posted on by Betsy

I have a friend who is stuck in the past. She dwells over past hurts and injustices and patterns her daily choices based on things that happened to her decades ago. A lot of this behavior is unconscious. I was with her many years ago as she was just about to sabotage a wonderful relationship with a very worthy man. I called her out on it and after a lot of probing and honest reflection, she realized that she would get to a point in a relationship where she broke things off in anticipation of the fellow ending the relationship first. It had happened to her so many times before, so she did it naturally, defensively, and reflexively. She lived in fear of “getting dumped” so she did the dumping. She was able to push through that fear and I am happy to say that they are still together. Once she realized that she was dwelling on her past, she was able to move through it.

Do you ever dwell on your past to the point that it controls your present and prevents any forward motion into your future? I think a lot of us do. When that happens, we completely shut the door to any activity of God that might make things better and right. But God desires to make things new in our lives … if we have the courage to let him.

Isaiah 43 (New International Version)

This is what the Lord says—
    he who made a way through the sea,
    a path through the mighty waters,
17 who drew out the chariots and horses,
    the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again,
    extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:

I admire how Isaiah establishes God’s credentials before he gives the startling prophecy that everything is about to change. He reminds the people of God’s saving activity in delivering the Hebrews from Pharaoh through the Red Sea. Then he shifts the reader’s attention to what is to come:

18 “Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.
20 The wild animals honor me,
    the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21     the people I formed for myself
    that they may proclaim my praise.

This language is so beautiful. Isaiah’s words came to fruition with the advent of the messiah. When Christ was born, these words came true. But think about how they might apply to any situation you are going through where you are stuck in the past. God is ready to help you get unstuck.

Do you trust him? You don’t need to wander in your wilderness anymore. God always makes a way.

All Things New by Michelle Robertson

Ways to Pray

Posted on by Betsy

I was blessed to be asked to preach a sermon on prayer recently, and I developed this list of different types of prayer for that message. Even though we understand that praying is simply having conversations with God and can be just that, a two way dialogue, I find it helpful in my own life to alter how I pray in order to not get into a prayer rut. I think this list would be especially helpful to you if you are trying to increase your prayer life as a Lenten discipline. Take a look:

THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE PRAYERS: This is always a good place to start any prayer effort. When we articulate the things we are thankful for, it directs our minds to our blessings and allows God a chance to hear our gratitude. Even in the darkest moment, we can find something to praise God for if we start our prayer time with a little “Thank you Jesus” moment and offer these prayers throughout the day. Focusing on our gratitude helps us see what God is doing.

FLASH PRAYERS: These prayers are prompted by interruptions or distractions, like hearing ambulance or firetruck sirens, noticing people in line at Food Lion while you are waiting your turn, or even just by driving past neighbors houses and praying deliberately for them. Usually interruptions are annoying, but let God use them to call you into prayer!

LAMENTATIONS: In deep grief and overwhelming anger, God can feel distant. We may feel abandoned. But that provides fertile ground for prayer. We can feel comfortable telling God exactly how we feel! Trust me, he can handle it. Lamenting is always perfectly appropriate in our relationship with God.  

INTERCESSORY PRAYERS: To intercede means to stand in the gap for others. It is good to keep a list of people who need your prayers and pray through the list daily.

HEARTBEAT PRAYERS: These are simple, repetitive prayers that sound like a heartbeat. My favorite one is “Fix it, Jesus!!” I pray this a lot in the dentist’s chair.

CENTERING PRAYERS: A centering prayer starts with fifteen to twenty minutes of listening in silence. We start with saying “Fill me with your presence, Holy Spirit. Speak to me Lord” and then wait. After centering ourselves in this silence, we can then begin to pray. I confess that as an extrovert, this is especially hard for me.

LECTIO DIVINA: (Sacred Reading) Rather than pray in your own words, use a prayer book or online prayer resource. Read it several times or pray yourself or someone else into the Scriptures. The Psalms are great for this.  

EMBODYING PRAYERS: This involves actively using your body as you pray. I remember watching the Jewish men ‘dinking’ at the Wailing Wall, bowing from the waist with hands clasped before them. Getting on your knees, lying prostrate on the ground, lifting your arms, or opening hands to receive are ways to practice embodying prayer. Just make sure you can get off the floor when you’re finished!

PRAYING WITH OTHERS: This is probably my favorite way to pray: gather people around for prayer groups, prayer circles, or find one person to be your prayer partner. Remember what Jesus said: “When two or more are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” Matt 18:20   

May your prayer life flourish as you try new ways.

Prayer Rising by Michelle Robertson

Don’t Give Up

Posted on by Betsy

Are you someone who is tenacious and refuses to give up, regardless of the obstacles you encounter? Are you like a dog with a bone? Or is it in your personality to assess a situation and decide to move on if things aren’t going your way? Take a look at today’s Scripture and see what Jesus says about overcoming obstacles with prayer:

Luke 18 (Common English Bible)

18 Jesus was telling them a parable about their need to pray continuously and not to be discouraged. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people.3 In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him, asking, ‘Give me justice in this case against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused but finally said to himself, I don’t fear God or respect people, 5 but I will give this widow justice because she keeps bothering me. Otherwise, there will be no end to her coming here and embarrassing me.” 

6 The Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 Won’t God provide justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he be slow to help them? 8 I tell you, he will give them justice quickly. But when the Human One comes, will he find faithfulness on earth?”

In this Scripture, Jesus told a parable about what happens when we pray continuously. This story demonstrates the power of persistant prayer and NOT GETTING DISCOURAGED in our prayers. We can be sure that if an unjust judge will acquiesce to the persistence of a widow’s plea, how much more will a God who loves you enough to sacrifice his son for you hear and answer your prayers!

Luke 11: 13 reminds us:13 If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

God is never slow to help us. He hears us immediately when we pray and answers according to his will and what is good for us. Sometimes that can be confusing if we are praying for things that God knows are not good for us. And sometimes his immediate answer is “wait” or “no”. But Scripture is right. Just keep on praying, and when you’re done, pray some more. 

I find it curious that Jesus used an ungodly, non-believing judge who was unjust in his court as his main character. But the instruction to persist in prayer comes through very clearly. “She keeps bothering me!” the judge complains before he gives up and gives in. 

Looking through different translations for this phrase “bothering me” expands our understanding of what happened. Here are a few other ways this has been written: She troubleth me; she keeps annoying me; she keeps pestering me; she keeps driving me crazy … and the judge was ready to give her justice because she was wearing him down and beating him down with her persistence.

Let’s pause there for a moment and think about a cause you feel deeply about. I think God is telling us to fight injustice and oppression by not backing down and being persistent, loud, and steady, especially when you are up against someone who, like the judge, “neither fears God nor respects people.” So perhaps today’s lesson on persistence goes beyond just prayer.

Our United Methodist baptism liturgy includes a vow to “fight evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever form they present themselves.” This is a heavy charge. So often we want to shy away from the task of standing up for justice and helping people find freedom. But the call is clear, and Jesus’ words about persisting can be applied here, too. Whether it is in the local schools, the county boards, or the national governmental authorities, our duty is to fight evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever form they present themselves when we encounter leaders who neither fear God nor respect people.

When you go to your father in prayer today, don’t give up. We all want our Lord to find us faithful on earth when he returns to reign in justice.

Persist by Kathy Schumacher