This morning, as I reflected on the many challenges we are facing in the world today, a question rose up in my spirit: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” These are the words of Jesus in Luke 18:8, spoken at the end of the Parable of the Persistent Widow.
That question feels especially important right now. We are living in a spiritually challenging time. Everywhere we look, people are tired, distracted, discouraged, divided, and overwhelmed. Many are carrying private battles that no one sees. Others are trying to hold on to faith while the world around them seems to be pulling in the opposite direction.
But Jesus did not ask this question to make us afraid. He asked it to make us examine our hearts.
In Luke 18, Jesus tells the story of a widow who kept going back to a judge, asking for justice. She did not have much power, influence, or status, but she had persistence. She refused to give up. Jesus used her story to teach us that we should always pray and not lose heart.
Then Jesus asks the sobering question: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” In simple terms, Jesus is asking: when He returns, will He find people who still trust Him? Will He find people who are still praying? Will He find people who have not allowed trouble, delay, disappointment, or pressure to pull them away from God?
That is the challenge before us today. Faith is not just something we talk about when life is easy. Real faith is revealed when life is hard. It is seen when we keep praying even when answers seem delayed. It is seen when we choose peace instead of fear, forgiveness instead of bitterness, obedience instead of compromise, and hope instead of despair.
We do not have to pretend that these times are easy. They are not. Many hearts are growing cold. Many people are losing patience. Many are being tempted to drift, doubt, or give up. But Jesus already knew these days would come, and His instruction remains the same: pray always and do not lose heart.
The good news is that God is not like the unjust judge in the parable. He is not careless, distant, or unwilling to hear us. He is righteous, loving, and faithful. He sees the tears. He hears the prayers. He knows the pressure His people are under. And in His perfect timing, He will bring justice, strength, and deliverance.
So the question is not only about the condition of the world. It is also about the condition of my heart. Will Jesus find faith in me? Will He find me still believing, still praying, still forgiving, still serving, still trusting, and still standing?
In this spiritually challenging time, may we be found faithful. May we be people who do not lose heart. May we keep our lamps burning, our prayers rising, our hearts tender, and our eyes fixed on Jesus.
When the Son of Man comes, may He find faith on the earth—and may He find it in us.
Minister A Francine Green I July 2026