Persistence

To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life.  Romans 2:7

Persistence is defined as continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action despite difficulty or opposition.

Nature and the many ways God has everything working amazes me! Randy’s grand mama had a big board outside her kitchen window, and she fed the birds every morning with out fail.  If she was late, they would sit and chirp loudly until she fed them.  They wanted their breakfast!  They were persistent. The other day, a wren was trying to build her nest inside my porch eaves.  I love the birds, but I didn’t want the nest there, so every time she would bring nesting material up, I would take it down.  In twenty minutes, it was back. This went on for a day or two with her persisting.

That same day as I was walking the dog around the track at Dickerson, a golfer who practices there regularly was hitting golf balls.  A flock of geese had landed on the grass right where he was hitting the golf balls.  I sent our dog to run the geese away, and then I asked him, “Could you not get the shot close enough to scare them away?”  He said, “Nature is persistent.  They know I’m not that good of a shot.”

I began to think about just how persistent I am about the wrong things sometimes.  I try to solve problems on my own, make decisions without asking for God’s help, and try to control my own circumstances and their outcome.  I can be relentless!

Out of the blue the other day, I began to hum the tune of an old hymn entitled, All The Way My Savior Leads Me, and it occurred to me that God had sent this to help me give up some of my persistent ways.  Every word speaks of another kind of persistence, reliance on God.  The song goes like this:

All the way my Savior leads me, what have I to ask beside?                                             Can I doubt His tender mercies who through life has been my guide?                         Heavenly peace, divinest comfort; en by faith with Him to dwell                                For I know what e’er betide me, Jesus doth all things well.   Fannie Crosby

Jesus leads us if we will only be as persistent in following Him as we are in trying to do things ourselves!