PERSISTENT
SARAH
Philippians
3:12-14: “Not that I have already
obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take
hold of that which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to
have taken hold of it. But one
thing I do: Forgetting what is behind
and straining toward what is ahead. I
press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me
heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
The first Thanksgiving was
celebrated in October, 1621. But it
wasn’t until October, 1777 that all 13 colonies celebrated Thanksgiving for the
first time. Despite George Washington’s
having declared a National Day of Thanksgiving, the colonies ended the holiday
because they were too busy fighting!
Sarah Josepha Hale was a magazine
editor who wouldn’t stop until Thanksgiving returned as a National holiday. For forty (yes, 40) years, she wrote letters
to governors and presidents. She wrote
editorials in magazines and newspapers.
She wrote books—all promoting the observance of Thanksgiving Day.
Finally, in 1863, President Lincoln
got word of her campaign. He reinstated the
National Day of Thanksgiving. Since
then, every succeeding president supported celebrating Thanksgiving Day. The date changed to the last Thursday in
November, but it’s been a National holiday ever since.
Way to go, Sarah! Impressive persistence!
What can we learn from persistent
Sarah? Apostle Paul writes of his life
of faith in sports’ terms as a race. A
marathon. Living the Christian life is
not a sprint to the finish line. But
sometimes it feels that we can reach out and touch it. Newly-saved-for-eternal-life people often are
so filled with God’s Spirit that they can’t stop talking about Jesus.
Can you remember having that zeal?
Isn’t fire what God’s indwelling
Spirit brings? Each Believer is charged
with the same “Great Commission” that Jesus gave His disciples before He
ascended into heaven (Matthew 28:18-20).
(See the lesson, linked below).
I know this command isn’t new. Has your fire cooled to a simmer? Has your fire been doused with water and is
out? When was the last time you shared
your faith with someone who’s hurting?
Take Home Nugget
We can
break Jesus’ Great Commission whale of a command into smaller fish to offer
people. Each day offers a fresh
beginning to choose between right and wrong.
Each day offers chances to help someone in need. Each day begins with opportunities to pray
and read God’s Word.
What if Sarah had stopped writing
letters about Thanksgiving? What if Paul
had stopped writing letters to the churches he established? Wasn’t it Paul who first used the word
“persevere”?
Holy
Father, help me—in Jesus’ name—to be persistent for Your Kingdom when I want to
stop. Amen.
Adapted
from “Thanksgiving: A Story of Persistence” by Kelly McFadden
J.D. Griffith
Here’s an eBook by J.D. Griffith:
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