The ongoing commitment
to engage with God
while engaging with life.
 © Lee Wise

We entertain thoughts like these on a regular basis:

“I wonder what he’s getting at?”
“If she is going where I think she’s going, I…”
“So what’s the point of all this?”
“I wonder if they even know what they’re saying!”

When it comes to the art of communication, understanding
becomes crucial: especially when the stakes are high.

During high stake times “mind games” become irritating
instead of enjoyable, and we aren’t interested in visiting
our psychology 101 notes in order to discover what is
“really” being said.

We just want “to know.”

That’s why I often appreciate a down to earth, straight
forward comment of this nature:

“Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they
should always pray and not give up.” (Luke 18:1)**

The statement is, in one sense, refreshing.

Years of study don’t need to be spent discerning the correct
meaning and biblical application of those eighteen words!

Clear? Yes.
Simple? No doubt.

But easy to apply?
Hardly.

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE PARABLE

The parable goes something like this…

A judge who doesn’t give a rip about God or anyone else
hears — on a *very* regular basis — the cry of a widow who
pleads for a just ruling in her favor.

Time and again she approaches the bench.
Time after time she asks for mercy.

Can’t you hear him?

“I tell ya, this gal is driving me nuts. Doesn’t she ever
give up?

You think she’d get the picture: I don’t care!”

However, the man finally crumbles beneath the weight of her
constant appeals: “I will see that she gets justice, so that
she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming.”
(Luke 18:5)

Then Jesus delivers the PostScript.  He says:

“Listen to what the unjust judge says.  And will not God
bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him
day and night?  Will he keep putting them off?

I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.

However, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on
earth?” (Luke18:6-9)

CLEAR AND SIMPLE, BUT PERSONALLY CONVICTING

As I mulled over the purpose of the parable, I recorded a
few summary concepts which I now hand off to you for your
reflection.

Answering the question, “How does this look in my world?”, I
wrote down:

1.  I pray
2.  I pray as a discipline
3.  I don’t give up (even when others get up and go)

A few related QUESTIONS then found their way into my notes.

1. “What do I care enough about to be *persistent” in prayer
for?”

2. “Am I developing a lifestyle that is moving away from –
or nearer to — this goal (i.e. that of praying, praying as
a discipline, and not giving up).

3. “What would it take for me to be able to say:

I’m one of those.
I’m one of those people who pray and don’t give up?”

4. “If the Lord were to come at the end of the next 30 days,
would he find this kind of ‘pray and not give up faith’ in
the sector of earth I inhabit each day?”

AND NOW…

I am continuing to work through *before the Lord* my
responses to the questions I created.

The same exercise may prove valuable to you as well.

I would encourage you to read the parable, make notes,
design your own questions, and interact with the One whose
desire for us is to “always pray and not give up.”

Enjoy your time of learning from Jesus,

Lee

**All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are
taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSIONÆ. NIVÆ.
Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
__________________________
© Lee Wise All rights reserved. You may freely distribute
this article. However, the copyright box in Signature Three
must be used when you do so (See Signature Boxes page)

Enjoy,

Lee

Faith
© Lee Wise All rights reserved

The decision to trust Jesus in all things…

Even when the “all things” include
Confusion in the mind,
Pain in the heart
And lack of clarity about the future.

We trust Him because we believe
and not because it makes sense.

We trust Him because we would
much rather “lean in” to Him at all times
as opposed to leaning away from Him
when He’s needed most.

In the end, we decide to trust…

Because we love Him.

We love Him for who He is,
What He has done,
And who He promises to be for us…

Now,
And forever.

I had read these thoughts while in the hospital and reviewed them once again this morning.  He simply says so many good things!

Sharing his thoughts on the process of prayer, Yancey writes…

“The goal is to spend time with God, not to follow a legalistic procedure.  If a system helps achieve that goal, fine.  If not, I move on.  Moods change, life goes through seasons, personalities differ.  Each person who prays will need to find a rythm or method that fits, for each of us has a unique privilege of offering love and attention to the One who made and sustains us” (p.181).

Enjoy,

Lee

The Path To Personal Growth With Jesus
© Lee Wise All rights reserved

The discipline of listening to your heart before the Lord,
paying close attention to the patterns of your life,
accepting truthfully what you see,
looking forward to what you would like to see,
and making a solid commitment to change
both what you must and what you will in Christ.

The Lord’s best to you this day,

Lee

Joy in Jesus
© Lee Wise All rights reserved

Being able to say
at the end of the day…
I followed the Lord when I could,
Received his forgiveness when I chose not to,
And realized the meaning of grace through it all.

Enjoy,

Lee

_________

Praying For Others
_________

Joining the heart of God
with the needs of man
© Lee Wise All rights reserved

We forge legacies one step at a time.

In and out of life’s muddier moments,
During days we call “sunshine days,”
And times when the beauty of sunlight
seems more of a dream than any shred of reality.

We make choices,
Share stories,
Enjoy laughter among friends,
Know the meaning of success,
And tolerate failure the best we can.

Traversing through these many, varied
and ever-changing mini seconds of our lives…

We call out to Jesus.

We cry out for strength, wisdom, health,
mercy, and grace to make it over the long haul.

We desire to leave legacies.
Good legacies.

Legacies of love, trust,
surrender, gratitude,
and faithfulness.

Why?

Because in serving the God of all grace,
we know that in the end only two things
really matter…

Really.

Loving God
And loving the people He created.

“Our loving Father… make us strong.
Strong in time until time ends for us.
In the timeless name of Jesus we pray.
Amen.”

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© Lee Wise All rights reserved. You may freely distribute
this article. However, the copyright box in Signature One
must be used when you do so (See Signature Boxes page)

Knowing I have been used by the Lord
to enrich the lives of those
He has entrusted to my care

“Oh, Lord, I know that encouragement can be such a simple thing – and yet so meaningful.  Show me how.  In my own way.  When you want me to.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

This is what came out.

Enjoy,

Success…
© Lee Wise  All rights reserved

Listening for all I’m worth
because of all it’s worth to others.

Sharing what is a blessing
instead of only what may be necessary.

Choosing integrity because it’s right
instead of what’s simply right for me.

Striving to control my wealth
by not allowing the desire for wealth to control me.

Shaping my future
by making good choices that which defines my past.

Discovering joy and beauty wherever I can
as opposed to seeing too much of what’s wrong
and much, much less of what could be right.

Accepting who I am
while honoring who I am not.

And loving with all I’ve got
because in the end it’s worth it all.

____________________________
© Lee Wise All rights reserved. You may freely distribute
this article. However, the copyright box in Signature Two
must be used when you do so (See Signature Boxes page)