Unrelenting Prayer by Bob Sorge; Mike Bickle

Author:Bob Sorge; Mike Bickle
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Prayer - Christianity, Bible, Religion, Christian Life, Prayer - Biblical Teaching, Unjust Judge (Parable), Systematic, Prayer, Christian Theology
ISBN: 9780974966434
Publisher: Oasis House
Published: 2005-01-01T22:00:00+00:00

8

THE SPEEDILY OF GOD

“And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily” (Luke 18:7-8).

In Chapter 6, we emphasized how God bears long with the elect. So now, as you read verse 8 above—“‘He will avenge them speedily’"—you have a moment’s pause. “Okay—uh, does God bear long with the elect, or does He avenge them speedily? Which is it? Does He wait a long time, or does He act quickly?"

Ah, we’ve finally come to the paradox27 in the parable. This is the part of the parable that got many of our translators into trouble. They looked at the apparent contradiction between verses 7 and 8, considered that Jesus was too wise to contradict Himself, and for some reason decided to change the wording. But I’m glad that versions like the NKJV and KJV translate it accurately because now we are forced to wrestle with the paradox.

This isn’t the first time, however, that this paradox is articulated in the Bible. You may recall seeing these words in Habakkuk, in reference to God’s promised intervention:

Though it tarries, wait for it...It will not tarry

(Habakkuk 2:3).

So we’re back to the same question. Does God’s intervention tarry, or does it not tarry? Does God bear long with His elect, or does He avenge them speedily? Which is it??

The paradox within these statements is strong, and I have only one way to resolve it. There is one compelling truth that brings both sides of the paradox together: Sometimes God bears l-o-o-o-o-o-n-g with His elect—in order to avenge them speedily. To say it another way, sometimes God seems to take for-e-e-e-e-ver to change everything speedily. You may wait on God a long time, but when God finally chooses to act on your behalf, He will act decisively and change everything dramatically and suddenly.

Sometimes God seems to take forever to change everything speedily.

Habakkuk would have resolved the tension with the same answer. I can imagine him saying, “Absolutely! Is this supposed to be a new revelation? That’s what I wrote centuries ago. When the Promise of God tarries, wait for it to be fulfilled because there is coming a day when He will fulfill His Promise. And when He does, there will be no further tarrying or hesitation or prolonging of the waiting season. Everything will change swiftly. And the dramatic nature of the change will be attributable to God alone, so all the praise will be His.”

Sometimes God seems slow to respond to your prayers; but when He finally rises up and puts the thing into gear, fasten your seatbelt, you’re in for a ride. Because when God finally steps into action, the thing is going to shake down and shake down quickly.

Some believers, after praying for something for a little while, will too hastily come to the conclusion, “Well, I guess I’m just not going to see the power of God manifest.” So they give up asking.

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