PUSH - Pray Until Something Happens
- Raymond Melendez
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 19 hours ago
"At TheGoodNewsCast.com, we believe the Word of God is the living Word of God and the completed work of God, and whosoever believes in its teachings and submits to its authority lives with the assurance that the Heavenly Father finishes what He began."
History is marked by individuals who persevered under adversity—people like Alice Paul, Jackie Robinson, and Thomas Edison, whose determination pushed them beyond the limits society often imposes. Their lives teach us that to progress is to persist, to keep chipping away at obstacles until something finally happens. This spirit of perseverance finds its way to the deep truth found in Scripture: the Heavenly Father Himself is the ultimate example of steadfastness.
Psalm 138 captures His unwavering faithfulness beautifully. King David, a man who knew both soaring victories and crushing defeats, lifts his voice in praise to God, who finishes what He began:
“I will praise thee with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.” Psalm 138:1
David recognized that in a world filled with false deities, only God reigns supreme, unwavering in His commitment to completing what He began. Just as people like Alice Paul, Jackie Robinson, and Thomas Edison pressed forward despite resistance, David’s song teaches us that our perseverance is anchored in God’s own persistence. God finishes what He starts, whether it's the creation of galaxies or the work within us; our praises lifted in His name are met by a faithfulness that cannot be undone.
A Work That Breaks Barriers
Long before the world commemorated individuals like Jackie Robinson or Thomas Edison, Alice Paul was already breaking generational curses with unshakable faith. As a leader in the women’s suffrage movement, she shook a political system that had oppressed women for centuries.
Through marches, White House pickets, imprisonment, and even force-feeding during hunger strikes, Paul remained faithful to her commitment to equality regardless of sex. Her discipline and determination helped pave the way for the 19th Amendment and later the drafting of the Equal Rights Amendment. Her life is a compelling example for those aiming to overcome generational curses (Lunardini 82).
King David sings praises to God, who never abandons His creation, in a song that embodies this same spirit of perseverance. He faced enemies, setbacks, and intense pressures, yet remained strong in God's persistence:
“The Eternal will perfect what concerns me.” Psalm 138:8
Isaiah later affirmed his certainty, declaring that God’s word always accomplishes its purpose (Isaiah 55:11). Together, Alice Paul’s relentless struggle for equal rights and David’s praise to God reveal that progress is possible, especially when it is anchored in God's faithfulness. We persevere with confidence that God, who began a perfect work within us, will undoubtedly see it through to completion.
A Work That Breaks The Curse
When Jackie Robinson stepped onto the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, he ignited a fire that challenged a system built on racial exclusion. For decades, Major League Baseball maintained segregation, and Robinson’s presence threatened the very foundation of that injustice. He faced death threats, hostile teammates, pitchers aiming for his head, and crowds that hurled insults instead of applause.
What set Robinson apart was not just his athletic gift but also his discipline. Bound by an agreement with Branch Rickey, he refrained from retaliating no matter the provocation. He endured psychological warfare while performing at a Hall of Fame level. Robinson didn’t just break the color barrier; he shattered it with excellence, opening doors for generations who would follow (Zeiler 54).
His struggle against this deeply rooted curse mirrors a far greater one. In the New Testament, Paul explains that humanity lived under a curse because the Law of Moses could not accomplish what only faith in God could (Galatians 3:13). The Law exposed sin and could not free humanity from its consequences. Freedom required a sacrifice—one that Jesus fulfilled on the cross. When He cried out, “It is finished” (John 19:30), the Greek word "tetelestai" declared that the debt had been paid in full. The curse was broken.
The Eternal, who promised never to forsake His creation, allowed His Son to be forsaken. Jesus cried, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” so that in his abandonment humanity could receive God’s eternal presence. He endured loneliness so that the world could enter communion with the Heavenly Father forever.
Jackie Robinson's bravery broke down a wall that had kept his generation separated, and Christ's death broke the curse that had kept all people separated from God. Together, they show that, although perseverance can break barriers, it is Jesus' sacrifice that ultimately eradicates the curse at its core. Through his sacrifice, we push through every barrier, assured that God will never leave nor forsake us.
PUSH - God Finishes the Work
Thomas Edison’s constant search for light is often summed up in the story of the lightbulb—a project he attempted not hundreds but thousands of times. To many, he looked like a dreamer wasting resources on an impossible idea. Yet Edison did not let public opinion define his limits. Every setback became a new discovery, another step in the process, and when the light turned on, he saw more clearly and couldn't stop there. He built the entire electrical infrastructure needed to power it—stations, wiring, safety systems—illuminating cities and eventually the world. His determination reminds us that just as light continues, so should we.
Edison’s determination mirrors the perseverance seen in Alice Paul and Jackie Robinson—two individuals from different eras who faced ridicule, danger, and deeply rooted systems of segregation and oppression. They advanced because they had faith in something beyond their current situation. Their lives demonstrate that to progress is to persevere until the end (Eleanor 112).
This same principle is reflected throughout the scriptures. God’s eternal presence, as revealed in Christ, fulfills the promises reaffirmed in the Book of Mormon:
“Press forward with steadfastness in Christ and endure to the end… you shall have eternal life.” 3 Nephi 15:5
Jesus is the fulfillment of David’s praise and Isaiah’s prophecy—the Living Word of God is the completed work of God, and whosoever believes in its teachings and submits to its authority can live with the assurance that the Heavenly Father will finish a good work in them.
TheGoodNewsCast.com extends this invitation to every person—regardless of your background, social standing, history, identity, or the labels others have placed on you. Who you are on earth does not disqualify you from God’s eternal presence. Just as Edison, Paul, and Robinson pushed through the impossible, God pushes through to the end—completing His perfect work within you. No matter who you are or wherever you are, nothing in heaven or on earth can stop it.
"Just ask and it will be given to you; seek after it and you will find it. Continue to knock, and the door will be opened for you. All who ask shall receive. Those who seek find what they seek, and those who knock will have the door opened." Matthew 7:7
Works Cited
Eleanor, J. The Architecture of Persistence: Leaders Who Reshaped History. Heritage Press, 2021.
Lunardini, Christine. Alice Paul: Equality for Women. Westview Press, 2013.
Zeiler, Thomas W. Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011.
