PERSISTENCE IN WORSHIP

MATTHEW 15:21-28

One should be persistent in seeking God's face in worship. This goes hand in hand with vulnerability. Persistence is continuing in something in spite of difficulty.

Are you persistently seeking God's face despite life? despite circumstance? Is your worship all weather? Can you believe in God's ability when things look bleak? There's a song by Dunsin Oyekan that beautifully captures this concept of persistence in worship: "I'll be here". A part of the song says:

I'll be here, lifting hands Even when it isn't easy

I'll be here, bowing down All of the days of my life

I would recommend listening closely to the lyrics of this song when you have 8 minutes to spare.

In the scripture, we see a clear example of persistence in worship. The Canaanite woman, when asked to leave by the disciples and even after hearing what Jesus said, knelt down and worshipped (Matt 15:21).

Are you persistently seeking God's face despite life? despite circumstance? Is your worship all weather? Can you believe in God's ability when things look bleak?

The woman in this story was truly at her wit's end. She did not see her hope coming from anywhere else so she persisted in asking Jesus to heal her daughter. There is a point in the scripture where Jesus says, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs." This is right after the scripture says she knelt down and worshipped.

Can you imagine being in that position? You just knelt down and pleaded with Jesus to help you then you hear him utter these words. Most of us out of pride, or mere exhaustion may just get up and go, but this woman didn't. Instead, she agrees with Jesus and says well even the dogs get the crumbs that fall from their master's table. In a way she was saying, I know I am not worthy of your blessing because you are the Messiah sent to the Jews, but I have no other option but to ask you. You are my only hope so persistence and vulnerability is all I have.

Most of us out of pride, or mere exhaustion may just get up and go, but this woman didn't.

In the end, her faith is commended and her daughter is healed. How many times have we started to pray for something and then after not seeing results by the time we want, just stopped? How many times have we decided in our hearts to form a habit of continual worship of God and given up when things look dismal or when life started being great? Yes, when life is good, are you still worshipping truly?

Let's not worship not only when things are bad and we want something from God. Worship in truth and in Spirit when all is well too. To live a life of worship is to persistently seek God! In all circumstances remember Jesus is the Lord, the Son of David, the Messiah who saves.