Jump Start # 1595

Luke 18:1 “Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart.”

  What a great statement that is found in our verse today. Pray at all times and do not lose heart. The expression, “lose heart,” is found throughout the Bible. It means to throw in the towel. It means to be overcome with discouragement. It is the feeling one has when the problems in life seem to be winning. It’s when we feel overwhelmed and when we doubt if we can continue on.

There are many folks who feel this way. Work has a way of making us lose heart. It seems that people are working longer and harder than ever before. The execs at many places want you to believe that “work is your life.” What a sad commentary on life, if that were the case. Long hours, stressful conditions, co-workers who do not want to work, the public who is demanding, and you are a long way from retirement. That is enough to lose heart.

For others, it’s the marriage that is making them lose heart. It seems that you and your mate are moving different directions. It seems that less time is being spent together. The problems of work have filtered into the marriage and now there are problems at home. She wants a bigger house. He wants more time with his buddies. There are more arguments than there used to be. For the first time, doubts have arisen about the future of this marriage. You are losing heart.

For others, it’s aging parents. It’s time to think about assisted living. It’s time to have the dreaded conversation about driving. No one is happy about the current situation and there doesn’t seem to be a good solution. It’s depressing and discouraging.

Some can lose heart spiritually. They tire of the same ole’ same ole’ down at the church house. A fresh breath hasn’t blown through the place in decades. The place looks old and it feels old. Too many go because of routine rather than faith. You begin having your own doubts. You are losing interest and heart.

In the context of our passage, Jesus has just told the disciples about the coming destruction of Jerusalem. The picture isn’t pretty. Jesus said, “Where the body is, there the vultures will be gathered.” That’s a prediction of death. That’s a scene of a battlefield that is littered with dead bodies. This is not a happy verse. This is not one for the greeting cards. This causes fear to rise within us. Would the disciples be involved in that battle? Would it be their bodies that the vultures are picking at? How could they be safe? How could they escape? The answer is our verse. Pray at all times and do not lose heart. Pray and do not give up. Pray and do not stop believing. Pray and do not lose faith.

The darker the situation the harder one needs to pray. There are times that we cannot see through the long, dark valley of death. There are noises that scare us. There are shadows that frighten us. The future is unknown. This is how some are feeling this morning about the upcoming presidential election. My state, Indiana, voted yesterday. It was enough of a victory for Trump that Cruz folded his campaign. This morning, many are crying, “What do we do? I don’t like any of the choices?” The answer is simple. Pray at all times and do not lose heart. Long before there was a Trump, Bernie or a Hillary, God was upon the throne. He’s still there. Before there was a United States, God was upon the throne. When our forefathers made the decision to leave Europe and come to this new land, many were running from persecution and religious oppression. God was upon the throne. When the Caesar’s marched, God was upon the throne. When Alexander thought he was the god of the world, God was upon the throne. All the way back to the Egyptians and the crying Israelites, God was upon the throne.

Pray and do not lose heart. That’s the answer. God can open doors that seem to be closed tight. God can move things that seem impossible to move. God can help when there seems to be no help. Pray. Pray hard. Pray often. Fill Heaven with your words. Flood the gates of the eternal with your pleas. Ask God. Ask God often. God can do things when man cannot. When man gives up, God hasn’t. Pray. Pray. Pray.

Ask God to open hearts. Ask God to help you show others. Ask God to bring people to their senses. Ask God. Ask God. Ask God.

If we don’t, we will lose heart. Our hope and our faith is in God. God can do things. God can shut the mouths of lions. God can open the eyes of a prodigal. God can help you. To lose heart is to give up on God. To lose heart is to doubt. To lose heart is to allow your faith to die. Don’t lose heart.

God’s plans and God’s answers may not be what you expect. We often have a solution in mind. Our Plan A may not be God’s. He may have another answer. It may not be what we expected nor the way we wanted it to be. Understand He is God. He sees things you cannot see. He knows things that you will never know.

Trust Him. Believe in Him. Turn it over to Him. Don’t tell God what He needs to do. Allow God to be God. Allow God to do as He wills.

Have you see people without heart? They are hopeless. They leave the funeral home with a blank look on their faces. They don’t know what to believe nor what to do. They are hopeless. Some turn to drugs and alcohol to numb the emptiness inside of them. Poor choices. Those things never take away the problem. They only add to the woes. Hopeless people fill the world. They live for today looking for a few shiny trinklets of pleasure that Satan dangles in front of them. No purpose. No plans. No future. No hope. No heart. No God.

Do not lose heart. Keep praying. Pray thankfully in the sunshine of life. Pray earnestly in the midnight of life. Prayers keep faith alive. Prayers are built around faith, trust and hope.

Pray at all times. Pray every time. Pray every where. Pray often. Pray for others. Pray for those who will never pray for themselves. Pray for politicians. Pray for CEO’s. Pray for preachers. Pray for marriages. Pray. Pray. Pray.

Vultures may come. God’s people will be praying.

Roger