Perseverance

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


Last night Michele and I and our daughter Erika went with a friend from church to see a band perform at the Rathskeller, a restaurant featuring German cuisine. A place that specializes in fatty foods was a little more difficult in finding food to eat according to the guidelines of the Daniel Fast.  


After being turned away at the bar when asking for a vegetable plate, I approached a hostess.  She put in me touch with a waitress.  I explained my special diet. She discouraged me by saying all their foods come prepackaged in butter! I insisted that surely there were fresh vegetables they could steam for us and perhaps some fruit.  Again she discouraged me by stating how busy they were in the kitchen.  She felt the cooks were unlikely to make a special order.   I asked her to please check with the kitchen.


After waiting for several minutes a different waitress appeared and asked if she could help. I explained my dietary needs and she told me the only vegetables they had without butter (even their wild rice is prepackaged in butter) were snow peas and carrots.  After asking about the availability of fresh fruit, I ordered the peas and carrots and a fruit plate. It worked.


The reason I am writing about this is to recognize that not every establishment is thinking about persons on special diets. It would have been easy to give up and either not eat anything or decide to eat something I had decided not to eat.  Persevering paid off.  I just kept negotiating options until someone at the restaurant helped me.


Jesus told his disciples about a widow who persisted to entreat a judge who cared nothing about humanity or God.  She persisted in crying for what she needed until the judge finally gave it to her. Jesus then makes His point. If a judge who cares nothing about people or God will finally give justice to the persistent widow, how much more quickly will God act to give justice to His children? (Lk 18:1-8)


As I continue this time of spiritual searching I am encouraged by Jesus' teaching.  God is so ready to give to us what we need.  He loves us more than we can imagine.  I am encouraged to persist in praying for the needs of my church family and myself knowing that God will quickly give us what we need.  I don't expect God to give us what we want, but what we need within His will.  


Persistence in prayer will pay off.  What do you need to pray for?


Dear Lord, thank You for loving us so mightily. Thank You for encouraging us to come to You persevering in prayer, expecting You to provide and to supply our every need.  O God deepen our faith.  Help us to believe where we have not seen.  Let us see the signs and wonders of the kingdom in our midst.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.