Day 26: Your Honor, I'll take a cup of persistence please!
Day 26: Your Honor, I'll take a cup of persistence please!
Read: Luke 18:1 - 8 (Parable of the Persistent Widow and the Judge); Psalm 22:1 - 5
Ah, that first cup of coffee first thing in the morning. Wake up from a
night's rest, a nap, or a short snooze on that couch at work and give
yourself that good stretch to limber up the ole muscles and then march
right into the kitchen or the break room and before anything else
happens put on that very first pot of coffee. It is almost too natural,
too instinctive, too predictable, too human nature -- nothing else can
happen till that first cup of 'just right' coffee is in your hand,
the aroma is waking you up, you are smiling, oohhing and aahhing and
finally (I guess finally eventually arrives - I do not know as I do not
drink coffee) you put it to your mouth and wallah - your reward - you wake up, you are empowered to get through the day.
For some, I guess, this is the most important ritual of their day.
Nothing else can take place until the morning coffee ritual takes place.
For some they get to be quite adamant 'do not talk to me do not look at
me until I get my first cup of coffee in me (At least that's what that McDonald's Restaurant commercial leads one to believe). That persistent morning ritual, that timeless event that seems to set
the whole tone for the day. A good day or a bad day defined by your
personal morning coffee ritual. The whole world seemingly revolves around that ritually persistent first cup of coffee. How might persistent prayer transform the course of your day?
For the Judge in the Parable, his daily ritual revolved around this
persistent widow who came by each day, perhaps even more than once a
day, perhaps morning, noon and night asking and pleading that her
request be granted. Day after day for who knows how long or how often,
this widow persists in knocking on the judges door. Day after day, the
judge does his best to ignore her pleas. Perhaps going deeper into his
home, retreating back to his Judges' chambers to brew yet another pot of
coffee. There does not seem to be that much doubt that the widow's daily
persistence was being interpreted as a major annoyance to the daily
routine of the judge. There is little doubt that even the widow is
interpreting the judges actions as 'He's ignoring me!'
Yet, her
persistent desire to gain the judges favor is not unlike the persistent
cry of the Psalmist "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are
you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but find no rest. (Psalm 22:1-2) The Psalmist is
desperate for God to answer his prayer and be rescued from his enemies.
The widow is very being persistent with her plea that judge finds favor
with her pleas for being rescued from her opponent. For a very long
time, it seems, both heart felt pleas appear ignored, they appear to go unanswered, unheeded, unheard. And so it may seem.
You have heard it said "Pray Without Ceasing" (1Thessalonians 5:17). As you are striving to
make for yourself that all important first cup of coffee to get your day on track, strive
also to be persistent in creating for yourself a ritual of brewing that
all important first cup of persistence toward praying to our righteous
Judge - God. You may find like the Psalmist and the widow from the
parable, it may take time to receive an answer. Yet in the midst of that anguished waiting believe that your persistence will be rewarded, your life will be transformed.
May you P.U.S.H. against the Judges door -- Pray Until Something
Happens!!! Let your pleas create before God a perfect storm. Let them
storm the very gates of heaven itself until you hear the gates come
crashing down and God is revealed, your persistence in prayer is
rewarded and your life becomes blessed beyond blessed. Let the brewing begin, let the transformation of your life commence. The Lord, the righteous Judge will answer. May the Lord bless you with peace.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj7ulfnhiw0
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