Persistence Pays Off

August 16

(Luke 18:38-40 NIV) ““He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" {39} Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" {40} Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him.””

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

(Galatians 6:9 NIV) “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Often, we do not obtain what we need from God because we give up too quickly. When life becomes a struggle, we quit the faith. When an answer to prayer doesn’t come as fast as we think it should, we quit praying. But this man would not give up or shut up. The disciples rebuked him for bothering the Master, but he refused to be quiet. He kept calling out until Jesus stopped. He is a model of persistence, and he can teach us some valuable lessons. Instead of crying about your circumstances, cry out in your circumstances. Call on God until God answers. Don’t let anyone shush you. Don’t quit. We also learn that believing is seeing. The old cliché “seeing is believing” has been turned upside down in the Kingdom of God. The blind beggar believed before he saw, and he believed until he saw. His persistent faith in Christ brought him sight. Persistence pays off. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day