Someone said, “Life isn’t built in lifetimes; it’s built in moments.” It’s so true. If you don’t take in the moments, you can miss so much goodness.
Moments are so persistent. They just keep coming, one after another, every single one like a tiny capsule holding a lifetime somehow.
Persistence is an idea I associate with bills and bad colds. But when I was reading Luke 18 the other day, I found a story that gave me a new perspective. Jesus tells the story of a widow who pleads with a judge for justice. She is ignored time after time but keeps trying until the annoyed judge grants her request just to get her to go away. Jesus reassures his followers that God is never annoyed with our persistence, but that we, like that widow should ask and keep asking, seek and keep seeking.
With steadfast love, God refines our attitude, faith, and desire. The Lord teaches us, much like a great music instructor reminding us that practice makes perfect. Every time we come to the Father we are building a trustworthy relationship with Him.
Persistence is about believing and longing and trying and waiting and hoping and caring and never giving up. That situation or person you’ve been praying about for the longest time has the attention of Heaven. Keep praying. Someday we will understand the power and mystery of such relentless faith.
It takes patience and determination to stay on a pathway to peace because we lean toward things that take away our peace. Through persistent trust, the Lord is teaching us to lean into Him.
“Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest.” – Hebrews 4:11