pramsay posted on April 20, 2006 16:07 1136 views

Have you ever been severely disappointed with a Christian who has messed up big time? “Well, recovery or restoration is so unlikely I just figure I won’t waste my time praying for her anymore. I only have a limited amount of time to pray each day so I will pray for others who are more likely to succeed. The first few times she did it, I faithfully prayed for her – but now, well – I’m fed up. I’m disgusted with her behaviour. I doubt if she will ever change. I’m not even going to bother getting my hopes up anymore. She does well for a few months and then she takes another nose dive. I am tired of being disappointed.”

When you read through the Old Testament you can only be amazed at God’s longsuffering and patient attitude towards a nation that frequently and repeatedly nose-dived, disappointed Him and rebelled against Him. I appreciated Samuel’s attitude towards the nation of Israel. They rejected Samuel as their judge. They rejected the Lord as their King and requested their own earthly king so they could be like the nations around them. Samuel told the people: “Your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking you a king.” (1Samuel 12:17) These words were followed by a torrential rain and electrical storm that scared the people into a renewed fear of both the Lord and Samuel. Then Samuel says in verse 23: “As for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and right way….”

Just a second Samuel, are you saying that no matter what, you are going to keep praying for these people with such a miserable track record? “That’s right. It would be a sin for me to ever give up on them and to give up on the Lord’s ability to draw them back to Himself. I will not only keep on praying for them, I will also take every little opportunity to teach them what is good and what is right and then leave the results with the Lord. How could I ever write-off a people that God loves unconditionally?”

Psalm 147 reiterates that our God is the God of Restoration. He gathers together the outcasts. “He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds. He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names.” Vs.3-4 If He numbers and names the stars, how much more does He follow those for whom we are burdened and He does so with a heart that longs for their return, restoration, or salvation. He knows what they need.

With His healing hand on a broken heart,
And the other on a star,
Our wonderful God views the miles apart,
And they seem not very far.

—M. P. Ferguson

Keep praying dear child of God. They may write themselves off. Others may write them off – but God never writes one of us off – no matter what!

Translate