Luke 18:3

New International Version (NIV) 

And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

For Meditation

1. The obvious reason for the Parable of the Persistent Widow is to teach us the virtue of persistent prayer (Lk. 18:1-8); but have you given thought to the woman’s confidence in the whole saga?
2. Do you realize that persistence is largely fueled by confidence in the substance of our claim or expectation? What boldness do the guilty have to persistently approach and demand anything when they have lost a case?
3. Based on this premise, don’t you agree that the widow’s confidence was birthed in the integrity of her claim? Don’t you think she knew she had been denied justice, and so she demanded a reversal of the judgment in her favor? Otherwise, how could she have expected justice from the wicked and ungodly judge (3)?
4. Do you see the possible source of our prayerlessness or the fervency of it? Where is our confidence in approaching the throne of grace (Heb. 4:16) when guilt has taken captive of our conscience (1 Jn. 3:21)? How bold could the believer be before a holy God when their hands are stained by sin and worldliness?
5. But isn’t our God good? Is He not merciful and just? Will He not forgive the penitent and broken child who has been abused by a corrupt world system? When we stand in forgiveness and raise holy hands before our holy God (1 Tim 2:8), who can stop His judgment from trumping any injustice that has been dished to us? Isn’t that our confidence in approaching our Father in the name of Jesus (1 Jn. 3:21)? So, what is your request today (Phil. 4:6-7)?

I pray we remember that we serve a gracious God who will, “bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night” (7), in the name of Jesus.

So: May you trust God in your situation and persist in your prayers until He moves on your case; and may Jesus see that you get justice, and [that you get it] quickly” too (8)!

But when the “set time” for your vindication has “fully come” (Gal. 4:4) and He rings your bell, will Jesus find faith in your heart?

Shalom