Whenever I must deal around the house with a squeaky door hinge, a window that is jammed, or something mechanical that is rusted so badly that it won’t budge, I reach for the WD-40. Just in the last few days, I used this effective product to instantly remove the annoying noise made by my clothes dryer and a door leading to our basement. With a little squirt here and a little squirt there, most of what refused to move will be much easier to maneuver. Too bad that I can’t apply a treatment on the rusty joints of my body! Few people know how this product got its name, so it is well worth telling.

WD-40 was invented in 1953 by Iver Norman Lawson (often referred to as Norm Larsen), a chemist working for the Rocket Chemical Company in San Diego, California. While Lawson developed the formula, the Rocket Chemical Company was established by Norman B. Larsen, Gordon Dawson, and John B. Gregory, and later renamed WD-40 Company. The trio set out to make a line of rust-preventative lubricants and degreasers for use in the aerospace industry. The first attempt at making the perfect formula failed as well as several others. It took forty attempts to finally come up with one that was ready for marketing. In total, it took 40 attempts to arrive at what would be called WD-40. The “WD” would stand for water displacement, and the “40” for the number of times it took them to get it right. How’s that for persistence?

Jesus met a number of people during His public ministry who were in need of healing. None was as persistent as a Canaanite woman who approached Jesus asking Him to heal her troubled daughter. Upon seeing Jesus, she ran up to him saying: “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” Jesus didn’t appear to hear her, so He didn’t acknowledge her. His disciples told Jesus to “to send her away” because she was a foreigner (as if it mattered to Him). The woman persisted and pleaded with Him two more times. Jesus finally engaged in conversation with her. He commented on her great faith and healed her daughter from a distance. One must ask: “Why did Jesus give her a “cold shoulder” at first? Could it be that He was testing her faith? Or was it something else?

When was the last time that you pleaded to Jesus for something? Have you ever thought that He, too, gave you the cold shoulder? Have you ever prayed for something and not been answered? Did you get angry and turn against God due to an unanswered prayer? Were you persistent enough? Some people think that we shouldn’t be persistent in prayer, yet we see many people in the Bible who are persistent, and it paid off. Being persistent is not inappropriate, but it is wrong when it turns into obstinance which occurs when someone is impossibly stubborn, unreasonable, or inflexible in their actions. The Canaanite woman was demonstrating her deep faith in Jesus. She knew that He could heal her daughter. It wasn’t an unreasonable request nor was it an attempt to manipulate the Son of God. She truly believed that He could heal her daughter. Jesus read her heart and knew that she had a strong faith and that she wasn’t trying to bully Him for what she wanted.

Could it just be, as in the case with the Canaanite woman, that God hasn’t answered your prayer as quickly as you’d like because He is trying to teach you an important lesson? Maybe it’s an attempt to strengthen your faith or draw you closer to Him. Or perhaps, He is testing you not so much for Him to see if your faith is strong, but rather, for YOU to see whether your faith is strong enough? This is the kind of test that I believe God places on us. Doesn’t He already know whether our hearts are sincere, and that our faith is strong enough? This is not the kind of test that tortures us or meant to prolong our desired end, but truly helps us in the long run. It allows us to look in the mirror and to learn something about ourselves.

And there is another factor, and perhaps a more important one. Is it possible that we are praying for the wrong end or asking the wrong questions? We may be praying for what we want, rather than, for what we need. There is a big difference! It is wise to give God the benefit, and not put Him to the test, or try to manipulate Him. God knows what is best for us. His wisdom is far greater than ours. But then, you may truly believe that you ARE praying for the right thing, such as the healing of a sick spouse, parent, or child. If this is the case, then, keep praying, and if God seems to be giving you a cold shoulder, keep praying the more. Be persistent. But then step back and listen for His answer. He may have something to teach you, a new place to take you, or a different perspective to hold. He will come through for you in time - His time. And He will give you an answer - His answer.

Tomorrow - Being Aware of God’s Holiness