Week 34
Luke 18:7 “Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?”
This world is not a friend to God’s godly elect people. Often, we find ourselves in the bullseye of many a taunt and many a criticism. At times it appears that there is a tsunami wave of opposition, anger, and malice against God’s precious people. And the more we try to do what is right in the sight of God, the more the opposition rises and strengthens against us. We feel ourselves outside of the normal comforting social circles of acceptance and concern.
In such a time, it is important for persecuted Christians to remember that God is not absent or ignorant of our plight. God is a God of love, a God of justice, and a God of righteousness. He sees our every pain, and His heart is touched by our struggle and the feeling of being betrayed.
When life feels like a dark pit because of those against us, the child of God cries out to God “day and night.” We find our respite in prayer, prayer to God, our sovereign Savior and Lord. We cry out to Him for mercy, for intervention, and for a turning of our circumstances that bring us such hurt and despair.
Sometimes God seems slow in responding to our prayers for help. Sometimes He feels far away, but He is not far away. He is near to us, and His love for us burns white-hot with passion and commitment. We must not read God’s character through the lens of our warped perceptibility, especially when we are hurt. God sees, God knows, and God is acting in keeping with heavenly wisdom and care. Time will show that God was working for our good in all things, and we must remember that we trust Him in all things.
Jesus says, “God will not delay long over them.” Jesus says that God will bring about justice for His elect people. When God shows His mighty arm of redemption, we will shout for joy and delight. His praise will be continually in our mouths, and we will thank Him for His care and for His providential provision for us. That day is coming, for it cannot fail to come. God does not do what we tell Him to do, and God does not act in keeping with our personal timetable. But God will act; He will act in keeping with His plan, His purpose, and His providential wisdom. He WILL act.
So, let us praise our God and Savior. Let us look to Him in faith, hope, and dependence. Let us draw fresh joy from the fountain of His promise and let us feel the strength that comes from knowing that God never fails His people. May the Lord grant that we would look to Him always believing that He is good and His time is right.
Dear Lord, please grant to me that I might trust you more fully. Help me to live my life and rest my struggling heart on the soft pillow of Your promises. I love You, and I trust You. Amen.