As the year comes to an end, it's time to reflect on the events of your life in 2009. It was a year packed with political turmoils, scandals, cultural phenomena and surprises around the world, but at the personal level many found themselves suffering from life threatening illness, a car repossession, a divorce or separation, perhaps a foreclosed home or a bankruptcy. While many may have endured hardship this year, most of us can count our blessings as God’s grace has sustained us in spite of the difficulties that we endured. Many are blinded by their circumstances and cannot see the hand of the Lord at work in their lives. Regardless of your situation God is faithful and He is calling us to remain faithful to Him.
Persistence is the Key
Many of you are familiar with the three imperatives in Luke 9:9; ask, seek, and knock. However, not too many of us are familiar with the Lord’s teaching on persistence in prayer. The parable of the persistent widow is one of the greatest teaching illustrations ever used by Jesus to encourage us to be steadfast in prayer(Luke 18:1-8). In many respect, this widow represents us. There are times when we too are burdened down with cares, worries, fears and troubles. During those times, it may seem that every circumstance of life is stacked against us. There may be the temptation to say, “Why should I continue to trust God?”, especially after we have prayed and prayed and prayed about some matter. Yet, if we can learn anything from this poor woman, let us learn the lesson that persistence in prayer pays off in God’s time! So, keep praying, despite all the obstacles you face and despite all the signs that say you should just give up! Remember that “men always ought to pray and not lose heart”(Luke 18:1).
Possibilities, Possibilities and Possibilities
“But He said to them, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God””(Luke 18:27)
The Scripture in Luke 18:27 is a reminder of God’s faithfulness and power to save us from anything that threatens our relationship with Him. In this passage, Jesus addresses the issue of money once again and describes that we need be cautious about the place that money is allowed to have in our hearts. As I have mentioned earlier money and possessions are often hard topics for me and for most of us. In an earlier encounter with the rich young ruler, Jesus addressed the place of money in the throne of our hearts. He clearly teaches that He can give us the assurance that He will fulfill His promises concerning us both in this life and the life to come!
May God open our spiritual eyes to see His marvelous work in our midst! This Christmas expect Christ to bring you deliverance, joy and peace in the midst of a troubled world. In the words of Jesus to the blind beggar, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.”
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