“All your tests look great. You’re just fine. Now go home.” I know the frustration of going from doctor to doctor trying to get help only to go home without answers again. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to just try one more time. Recently, I was praying about a frustrating situation, telling myself all the reasons I had to finally give up and make this my forever reality, when God spoke two words clearly to my heart, “Try again.” Those two words gave me hope, because God must have good things in store if He’s telling me to try again.
Scripture is packed with examples of people who found success only after trying again and again.
- Elijah and the cloud the size of a man’s hand- Six times Elijah sent his servant to look for signs of rain. Six times his servant brought back disappointing news, “No rain. Not even any clouds.” Each time Elijah kept praying. The seventh time Elijah sent his servant to check, his servant returned saying, “There is a cloud the size of a man’s hand (super small).” Elijah responded, “Here comes the rain.” And the rainstorm, the first in three years, hit moments later.
- Woman with the issue of blood-This poor lady had spent all her money on doctors that had not helped her but only made her worse. She kept bleeding day after day, living now in poverty as a social outcast. How many times had she tried? How many times had she hoped and then been crushed? Yet when Jesus was passing near her, she said, “If I can just touch the hem of his garment, I know I will be made whole.” And she did and she was.
- The paralyzed man- This man at the very least made some very good friends in his lifetime. These friends tried to take their friend to Jesus. They were stopped by the huge crowds and long lines of people waiting to see Jesus. They were probably disappointed after carrying their friend to Jesus only to be turned away. So they made a whole through the roof and lowered their friend down right in front of Jesus. They found a way to try again. And their friend was forgiven and healed.
- Peter and the other disciples toiled at fishing all night long, over and over and over again. And even though they were professional fishermen, they caught nothing. Jesus told them, “Throw the nets out again.” Peter replied, “We have been at this all night and have caught nothing. But because you ask, we will try again.” This time the nets were filled to breaking.
God seems to appreciate and reward tenacity in faith and perseverance in prayer. What is your situation that makes you just want to stop fighting? What situation is harder to face than to walk away?
Maybe it is your health, Drs don’t listen or don’t know what to do. Nothing has worked. Try again.
Maybe you’ve reached out to that difficult child 1000x in your ministry, your classroom, your family with no apparent progress. Try again.
Maybe you’ve been fighting to change things in your family-have less conflict, bring back that prodigal, make amends, forgive. But nothing send to change…try again.
Maybe you’ve been dreaming of a better job, with less stress. You’ve sent out so many applications, but have only received silence and denials, so many disappointments, try again. That better job can be worth all the waiting and applying and hoping.
Whatever your struggle is, I’m praying for you today. I’m praying that all of us can be empowered by the Holy Spirit to get up and try one more time.
God bless always, Trisha
The Kidmin Ninja 