Have you ever observed a child who was trying to walk? They are always very persistent, even when they fall down literally hundreds of time. They get back up and try again. Eventually, each child learns how to walk, which is the fruit of persistence. A child can teach us a lot about not giving up even when they are struggling.
Sometimes life is like that. We fall down and we have to get up. The Apostle Paul was very persistent in regard to proclaiming the Good News of Jesus. Time after time Paul was run out of town because of pushback from Jews who did not believe Jesus was the Messiah. Time after time, Paul would pick himself up again and keep going. At each of Paul’s stops, people had an opportunity to hear about Jesus, and many of them believed.
Fruit in Berea
Acts 17:10 That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. 12 As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men. [1]
What was the fruit of Paul’s persistence? Many people both Jew and Gentile became believers. Many souls were saved. The lost are of immeasurable worth to God. This becomes astonishingly clear as we read through Luke 15, where Jesus shared the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law despised the fact that Jesus welcomed tax collectors and sinners. Jesus knew this, and told three stories to help them understand God’s heart for people the Pharisees considered unworthy. In each story, Jesus told of the great lengths to which each person went in order to find that which was lost.
Where are You to be Persistent?
Paul went to great lengths to save souls on each mission trip. He did not give up even when he was abused, beaten, and jailed. When Paul picked himself up there were more souls that needed saving. What is the Lord calling you to do right now? How will be persistent and calling on the Lord to help you make that possible? What will be the impact on you and those around you? How can your persistence bring hope to others? To hear more about the persistence of Paul, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/hope-in-persecution
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ac 17:10–12). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.