Blessings to you, loved ones.  My prayer for you this week is that you are filled with the peace of God and that you do not lose heart, but trust in our good Father to do all that He has promised.  Here’s what’s coming up.

I always try to be mindful of people’s privacy when sharing online.  Forgive the vagary, but I think this says too much that is good about what God does in this little church to remain completely silent.  Readers will have gathered from last week’s post that something must have happened that was not good.  It made me angry, and I was ready to administer swift justice, but as I prepared the message, God began to show me the real nature of “tough love.”  Then I saw it in practice by the actions of those who were wronged.  I am humbled and honored to be among people of such strong conviction  and determination to do what they believe is right regardless of what others may think.

What is justice?  Who defines it?  We all have our own ideas about it, but we hold much in common with people around the world.  That sense of justice comes built into all of us.  It is part of being made in God’s image.  This Sunday, we will turn our attention to one of those passages that may bring comfort or consternation depending on our belief and experience.

I’m pretty sure we all have them, those verses that we read and we know they are truth because we believe in God’s word, but the reality we are in doesn’t seem to match.  Luke 18:1-8 is one of those passages for me.  It is the parable Jesus told of the unjust judge.  Luke writes that Jesus shared this story, “to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart.” (v. 1)  In the story, the unrighteous judge grants justice to a persistent widow because she will not stop pestering him until he does.  Jesus concludes with this, “now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (7-8)  The implication is, if even an unjust judge will do the right thing because of someone’s persistence, how much more will our good Father in Heaven!

How many of us have been frustrated, even angry with God because He did not conform to our idea of justice?  How many of us still wonder when the trials will end?  If this is “quickly,” please don’t tell me something will take a long time!  How can we take Jesus at His word here?  What about those prayers that never got an answer?  What about the injustice we’ve already endured?  I wish I could answer all of your questions, but only God has all the answers.  He will reveal them or not on His own time.  But clearly He meant for us to be encouraged by these words, so let’s take a closer look at them.

Don’t forget to move your clocks forward on Saturday night.  See you Sunday.

Love y’all!

Larry