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Persistence Pays

"It is God himself, in his mercy, who has given us this wonderful work [of telling his Good News to others], and so we never give up."¹

Author John Toland who received the Pulitzer Prize for his book, The Rising Sun, is another person who knows the power of persistence. Even though he now has an imposing record of successes, he had an even more impressive record of failures as a writer.

From the time he started writing he wrote six novels and 25 plays—none of which were accepted by publishers!

Undeterred, he kept diligently writing for 20-some years before he tasted success. He went on to write such best-sellers as Adolph Hitler, The Last 100 Days, Battle: The Story of the Bulge, and But Not in Shame.

"If you wait for perfect conditions," advised King Solomon, "you will never get anything done. Keep on sowing your seed, for you never know which will grow—perhaps it all will."² Furthermore, as today's Scripture verse puts it: "It is God himself, in his mercy, who has given us this wonderful work [of telling his Good News to others], and so we never give up!"¹

To be a true success in life—in God's view—it is imperative that we know what God's purpose for our life is, and that we never give up pursuing that goal. And because we have all been commissioned by Christ to help spread the gospel, it is also imperative that we never give up pursuing this goal.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me the insight to know what part you want me to play in the work that you are doing in the world today, the courage—with your help—to do it, and the persistence to never give up doing it—no matter what. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. 2 Corinthians 4:1 (TLB)(NLT).
2. Ecclesiastes 11:4, 6 (TLB)(NLT).

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