An important thing I learned selling, is not to get satisfied.  This seems strange, perhaps wrong, but it is right in this context.  When you are selling, you have little control over actually making a sale, if you’re honest in your self-appraisal.  So, when you make a sale or two or three or four in a short period of time, you have a natural tendency, at some point to be satisfied, take it easy and stop.  The law of averages reminds us that every day is not a banner day, so we need those banner days in order to carry us through the lean days and average out to a good result.  If you do not give in to guick satisfaction, you may have a record setting day, week, month or year.

I believe this is true as we seek God and perhaps in sowing to the Spirit.  We sow a little and reap a little, we sow a little more and reap a little more, then we get satisfied and quit sowing. Perhaps we seek the Lord to know more of Him and experience His lovingkindness and presence.  The Lord responds with an outpouring of His grace and mercy, we take delight in the Lord and stop our pursuit, but if we continually seek and persist in seeking His face, truth and ways, He will continue to give us that which we seek.  Of course, we must never seek anything just to spend it on ourselves.  Just as in sales, we are not selling more to simply pile up more money, but rather our motivation and aim is united in our purpose.  Likewise, our search for more of God is not for self, but for our greater purpose, which is in Him and the reason for which He has called us heavenward.

There are at least four illustrations of this in scripture.  The first is seen in Moses relationship with God.  Even though God spoke directly with Moses, something no one else in scripture experienced, Moses went further and asked to see God.  His request was fulfilled. (Exodus 33: 11-23).  The second was where King Jehoash came to Elisha for victory over his enemies; he was told to take his arrows and strike the ground.  He struck the ground three times and Elisha replied you should have struck many times, so you will only have a temporary time of victory. (2 Kings 13: 15-19).  The third is the Cannanite woman who came seeking healing from Yeshua.  He ignored her, then denied her request, but she persisted, so he told her bluntly that she was not among the choosen.  However, with great humility and persistence she said, “but do not the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the masters table”?  Yeshua comended her faith and granted her request. (Matt. 15: 22-28).  Finally, Yeshua’s parable of the disinterested judge. (Luke 18: 3-8).

So, in your practice of faith, giving, prayer and fasting – persist – not only when the answers seem not to come, but even when a measure of blessing, favor, and mercy has been shown. May be that in response to sincere persistent requests God will pour out such a blessing that is beyond anything we could have imagined. (Lev. 25:21; Malachi 3:10; Eph. 3: 20).