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Do Not Lose Heart
Lingows Admin • January 23, 2020
Daily Word:Luke 18:1, 6-7
"Also [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to turn coward (faint, lose heart, and give up)."
"And will not [our just] God defend and protect and avenge His elect (His chosen ones), who cry to him day and night? Will He defer them and delay help on their behalf?"
"I tell you, He will defend and protect and avenge them speedily."
There so many encouraging words in these passages.
There is wisdom as well.
Jesus continues to teach the people with every breath He takes.
The more and more I read the first four Gospels, the more I see new things that Jesus taught.
There is always something new.
In these three verses we are told to pray and not give up.
We are told that God will, "defend and protect".
We are also told, "He will defend and protect and avenge them speedily."
Even though I may know these principles, I may not always be able to put them to perfect use.
In the past, I have found it hard to pray during difficult times.
Now I know that it is the only effective thing I can do.
There are still times that I get discouraged.
I ask God to encourage me and to take care of whatever is concerning me.
He is faithful to my requests.
So, as I learn more about Him and try His principles out, I am blessed.
They may not be my first impulse.
But I am trying to at least make them my second choice of action.
I pray that He will make me more diligent and make me turn to Him more quickly for everything I need.
Today I choose prayer over worry, anxiousness, and fear.
May you find that God is speedy to answer you as you pray for His help.
Blessings be to you!
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for all You do and all You are. Thank You for the wisdom in Your Word. Thank You for continuing to show me more of You and Your ways every time I open it up and read. Thank You for showing me that I need to come to You frequently and fervently, and that You are always there to defend and protect me. Help me turn to You more quickly, Father. Keep my eyes on You and less on the world. Help me know that You are working in every circumstance of my life. Your will is perfect. Your timing is perfect. Your help is perfect and complete. I desire to know more of Your ways, Lord. Please show me more of You. Instill more of Your wisdom into my heart and soul. Help me act out of Your love. Help me do as You desire and help me let go of my own desires. Lead and guide my every step. Help me bless another this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM watching over you and your household every moment of every day, and I AM here to protect you.
Response: Thank You, Almighty God and Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.