Men As Christ
Where Iron Sharpens Iron / Proverbs 27:17
Persistence
Luke 11:1-13
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.” And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’ and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence. “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
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Persistence is a core tenet of our Faith. And, it’s what separates us from each other. The persistent athlete can become a professional athlete. The persistent student can become the teacher. The persistent child can sometimes eventually get their way. And, that’s the way it goes with God. He’s calling us to an Eternal Persistence. In this life, we are to persistently pray, grow, work, love, feel, etc. all with an underscoring of a reckless trust in Him. God only prunes the ones that He loves and He wants us to allow Him to “trim” where He needs to while we continue to work hard to grow our roots deeper in Him. Like a mighty river running through a valley of bedrock, persistence can wear a path over time that is Miraculous. Noah’s persistence led to an ark. Joshua’s persistence led to the walls of Jericho falling down. Abraham’s persistence led to descendants more numerous than the stars. And, Jesus’ persistence changed the course of His-story forever. None of them backed-down to this world and all of them have immortal legacies. So, when you’re feeling tired, worn, dejected, etc., just remember that it’s in those moments when we’re done, but God isn’t yet, that we must dig deeply into the coffers of persistence in the shadow of the Lord. God will see us through it; He only asks us to trust the Results to Him. Ask. Seek. Knock.
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