|
Margaret Thatcher served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990. Before becoming prime minister, she had to run for other positions and there were times she didn’t win. Each time that happened, she would run again.
Then when she entered into the office as prime minister, she had a fight on her hands to get the reforms she wanted made in the government and the country. She once said, "You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it."
We have to be willing to fight the same fight more than once at times. It would be great if every attempt we made was pulled off well the first time. When a problem presented itself, we solved it right then. When a desire came into our heart, it was fulfilled right then.
But as Thatcher said, we may have to fight the same fight more than once to get our victory. That means there will be times we must rally from the stalemate. Rally our forces and keep applying the pressure until we win. Fight the same battle more than once. Refuse to allow discouragement or disappointment or fatigue to disable our ability to see victory.
Rally your forces. That means you make a renewed effort. You recover your strength. Your spirits get higher. You can call up the forces God has put within you so you can conquer. You see changes made. There’s motion in your favor.
That requires persistence, justice, and strength. This is how a woman in the Bible saw her needs met. She was an unlikely example of persistence and justice and strength because she was a widow who was in need and not high in society, didn’t have much resources and no influential friends. Now she was suffering from an injustice that had been done to her.
When she decided to go to the judge in her area for help, she encountered another obstacle. He was an unjust judge. Instead of having a merciful and caring judge to whom she could go, he didn’t give a flip about the people of the land and didn’t give a thought about God. He was uncaring and should never have been in his position. That’s what she had to deal with to try to get justice done for her. Her rights had been violated and she was in desperate need.
If she had had money to give him, he would’ve done something. If she had known someone in a high position, she could have applied the pressure. But she was helpless. Except for her willingness to keep fighting for what she needed. When Jesus tells her story in Luke 18, He shows what can be done when we rally our forces and are persistent to get justice.
When this woman would come and state her case, the judge would ignore her. But that widow kept coming at him. Not just going back TO him, but coming AT him. She used the forces within her to get action. She didn’t have the forces of property, money, influence, or position but the forces she had within her were put there by God. You have those same forces within you to get the action you need against wrong conditions.
Finally, this judge came to the point he said, Because this widow won’t quit badgering me, I’d better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I’m going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding. (Ref. Luke 18:4, 5 MSG.) The judge took care of her and she received justice because she showed so much persistence and strength. She got that for which she was fighting. She got action!
After Jesus shared this story, He made the point that if we are willing to rally and go after what we’ve been denied and we keep fighting, then we can receive.
He said, Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for His chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t He stick up for them? I assure you, He will. He will not drag His feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when He returns? (Ref. Luke 18:6-8 MSG.)
We must be resilient in faith and prayer. When we don’t see the answer, come back in faith. Fight against the forces that are fighting us. Fight the same battle more than once. When we do, our just judge, Father God, will make sure we are heard and taken care of. We rally the forces in us until we see His will done.
Spiritual Powerline to say out loud:
“I’M FIGHTING THIS BATTLE UNTIL I WIN!”
Here is a powerful prayer to say out loud:
Lord, I will keep fighting until I see victory. I will keep praying until the problem is solved. I will keep asking until I receive. Conditions are going in my favor because Your forces are fighting for me. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
|