Persistence for the Win
By Anthony Casperson
7-26-25

The fourth edition of Twilight Imperium is a game that I own and enjoy playing whenever I can. And even though I have owned it for years, I can count the number of times I’ve played it on both of my hands. It’s the game known for “taking all day to play.” In truth, it takes 8-12 hours depending on the number of players and their experience with the game. (No where near “all day.”)

Ever since I bought the expansion in early 2021—which added many new pieces to the game—I’ve wanted to try out a six-player game with the larger version of the galaxy (also known as the game board) that the expansion introduced. It sounds fun to me.

But the problem is that I’ve only ever been able to play the game with six players once, and that was before I ever knew about the expansion. The couple of my friends who regularly play it with me know that the six-player big board version of the game is a dream of mine for Twilight Imperium. And we keep trying for it every time we actually do play it. However, something constantly prevents at least one of the invited players from being able to join us.

This is a well-known issue for anyone who regularly attempts to arrange a group of adults to gather together for a game. Something is highly likely to come up to prevent the gathering. Schedules can conflict. And illnesses, family responsibilities, work issues, and other unforeseen events love to wait until just the last moment to pop up and prevent the full group from gathering. (Many of these examples are truly more important than an afternoon/evening of playing games, but they still put a damper on the plans, which is my point.)

Even though I have yet to play this six-player version of the game with the big board, I continue to push for it. I am persistent in putting forward my desire to play this way. The verbalization of the desire isn’t annoying, merely a continual persistence until the day that I eventually succeed in this attempt.

The day has yet to happen, but I stand persistent until it does.

While my introductory illustration is a bit more on the fun and nice-thing-to-do side of persistence, a continual vocalizing of needs can be required for many others. As a matter of fact, this week’s parable in our summer series, “Mysteries of the Kingdom,” showcases the idea of persistence as a good practice within the Kingdom of God. Persistence in both small things and great things.

As a matter of fact, the very first verse of Luke 18:1-8 clearly spells out what this parable is about. Luke writes that Jesus taught this parable to teach his followers that they “ought to always pray and not lose heart.”

You can’t be much clearer than that. The story Jesus provides speaks about how we followers of Jesus should communicate with God about our needs on a regular basis. And even if the needs aren’t met in the timeframe that we desire, we should never cease from praying for them. God will provide, in his time. It might take all the way until after Jesus’ return for God’s answer to our prayers—a topic that Jesus had just spoken of in Luke 17—but the answers to our prayers will come.

In the story Jesus tells, there are two characters. The first is an unjust judge. He’s the kind of person who would likely take bribes. But we also know that this judge considers himself to be someone who doesn’t care about what God or any human thinks about his judgements. His opinion is the only one that matters in his world.

The second character is a poor widow. We’re not sure what her issue was in the legal system, but it was bad enough that she had to go to the court on her own. In that day and time, women were unlikely participants in the legal system. If a woman had a legal case to present, she would have a close male relative represent her in court. Or possibly, the woman would hire a legal expert.

But this widow was so much on her own that she had no close male relative to represent her. And no money to afford a lawyer. So, she walks into the courtroom of this unjust judge on her own. He likely rolled his eyes at the woman who was too poor to pay a bribe. He didn’t care enough to even listen to her case. Just sent her on her way.

But the widow cried out for justice from the only one who could give it to her.

Day after day, she stood outside of the courtroom pleading, “Give me justice against my enemy.” She was on the side of right in this case. If only justice could be dispensed, then things would be set right for her. The poor widow just needed someone to listen to her plea, as she stood at the fringes of their society.

Yet the persistent widow would not stop pleading for justice. She had nothing else to lose, so she chose to not lose heart.

After innumerable days of this persistent widow going hoarse as she pleaded for justice, the unjust judge finally sighed and relented at his refusal to listen to her case. He might not think much about other people’s opinions, but he hit his limit in hearing the same plea day after day. It would just be more expedient in his life to hear her out. Sanity could be returned to him once he no longer had to try to tune her out.

The unjust judge dispensed justice, not because he strove for goodness, but rather for the fact that her persistence proved to him the level of the widow’s need for justice. A continued outcry did what no sum of money ever could.

Jesus then uses an argument of “how much more” while comparing God to the unjust judge. He’s obviously not saying that God won’t do anything for us unless we annoy him into submission. There should be no nagging of God. Instead, the point is that since God is far more loving and just than the judge in the story, we can count on him to provide for our needs in this life.

If persistence caused the unjust judge to dispense justice, should we not expect our continued prayers to move God to justly aid us?

God loves his creation. He wants what’s best for us. He’s on our side. Even more when we’ve joined him in his kingdom. So, we should expect him to give justly.

The problem lies in our desire to have justice look exactly how we picture it. And on the timetable we present to God. See, the promise of God’s justice isn’t for it to be when and how we decide it should happen. We human beings don’t have God’s omniscient—all-knowing—view of the world. Thus, what we consider good in the moment might have larger ramifications later that we couldn’t see at the time.

Therefore, we should rely on God to give us justice against our problems, issues, and enemies. As he sees fit. And in the time he decides.

For some, this will mean that we won’t see justice until after Jesus returns. But let us not lose heart in praying to God anyway. Who knows what a little persistence could accomplish?

So, what are you praying for? What need are you pleading with God to fulfill? Keep praying for it. Be persistent. And don’t lose heart in crying out for it.

I say these words, not as one who has everything perfectly handed to him. No, I also cry out for needs that have yet to be fulfilled. Some, I’ve prayed about for years. Others, for multiple decades. And I’m not perfect in my persistence. I’ve lost heart before. And surely will again. Every time I give in to depression and anxiety.

But even in my failures—when I’ve grown tired of crying out—I return to the fact that God is just and loving. He is faithful to his covenant. His promises will be fulfilled. I just need to keep crying out and waiting for him to give me justice. In his own manner. And in his own time.

Those words aren’t easy to live. And they’re even more difficult to reach back toward when we’ve lost heart. But that doesn’t make them any less true.

Justice will be given. So, let us persistently cry out and wait for the day justice is given.

Playmat from Gamegenic showing the big galaxy.