The Upper Room devotional reflection for Monday, February 20, 2023, was written by Zeph Dim, Lagos, Nigeria.
1 Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.
2 He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. 3 In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, "Grant me justice against my opponent.' 4 For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, "Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.' " 6 And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? 8 I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
Luke 18:1-8 NIV
TRY AGAIN
My son, David, is learning to walk. As he stood holding on to a chair, his mother walked past him onto the balcony. David let go of the chair and started walking toward her. He took two steps, but he fell on the third. He waited a moment, looking for someone to help him. When no one came, he stood up and took a few more steps before he fell again and began screaming. This time, his mother rushed over to pick him up.
This got me thinking: if babies were to stop trying again after they fell, nobody would ever learn to walk. This brought to mind the parable of the persistent widow. Though she was denied justice several times, she refused to give up and ultimately got what she desired. In my journey of faith, I have fallen many times and become weary. But by God’s grace, I have gotten up and continued. Persisting in faith despite difficulties is always worthwhile. No matter how often you fall, take courage, stand up, and take another step.
Friends,
Zeph’s reflection reminds us of the importance of consistency and perseverance as we continue to grow in our faith. It is not always easy to remain persistent, especially when we face various obstacles. Yet, the more we push through our weariness, the deeper our relationship grows and the greater our faith becomes. I invite you to reread Zeph’s reflection and be encouraged to keep getting up.
-Pastor Anthony
Prayer:
Loving God, no matter the challenges we face, give us the strength to rise up again and persist in faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
- Zeph Dim