Daily Devotional for November 16, 2019
Be Persistent in Hard Times
“I give up!” Megan tossed Sparky’s leash onto the counter.
Dad was sitting at the table drinking coffee. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I can’t teach Sparky anything. When I put him on the leash, he just
tries to bite it.” Megan slumped into a chair. “He’s a silly poodle.”
“I had the same problem,” Dad said, “until I learned a trick.”
Megan sat up in her chair. “What trick?”
“I learned that if I keep showing Sparky the same thing over and over, he will slowly understand how to do it,” Dad said.
“That’s it? Just keep repeating what I’m trying to teach him?”
“Yeah. By doing that, I’ve finally taught Sparky a few things,” Dad said. “Now, he comes when I call him and sits when I tell him.”
“That’s fantastic!” Megan eyed Sparky. “You really think I can train him to walk?”
“Absolutely.” Dad took a sip of coffee. “If something is important, be persistent and don’t give up.”
Megan reached down and scratched behind Sparky’s ears. “I feel like I’ve already tried a thousand times.”
“It’s funny you should use that number,” Dad said. “Over a hundred years ago, Thomas Edison invented many things, including the light bulb. He is considered to be one of the greatest inventors of all time. But when inventing the light bulb, he later said he failed one thousand times. Because he was persistent and kept working at it, he figured out how to make it work.”
“Like how you were persistent with Sparky.” Megan thought about that for a moment. “My Bible teacher said that God wants us to be persistent.”
“He sure does,” Dad said. “God doesn’t want us to give up when we encounter challenges in our lives. The best part is that He helps us persevere in life’s difficult moments. By showing His love for us over and over again, He patiently teaches us to trust Him so we can face life’s challenges and grow in our faith. He never gives up on us.”
Megan picked up Sparky’s leash. “Okay, Dad. Since I know God won’t give up teaching me how to be persistent, then I won’t give up teaching Sparky how to walk!” Matt Shoemaker
How about you?
Do you feel like giving up when you encounter challenges in life? Things like difficult schoolwork or problems with a friend can be hard, but God doesn’t want you to give up. He will help you persevere. Remember that He’s with you and will give you strength and wisdom in every situation. He won’t ever give up on you. Trust him to help you in difficult times.
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