Trying Again and Again
Proverbs 24:16
Illustration
by Editor James S. Hewett

Among other qualities of personal character, what makes a man great is his determination to keep going. Most sports buffs know that from 1960 to 1966 the record for the most stolen bases was held by the incredible Maury Wills. In 1962 he set the current club record for the Dodgers: 104 stolen bases in one regular season.

But Maury Wills set another record in those years. A record probably obscured by his other accomplishments. A rather dubious record, for in 1965, a year in which he again held high honors for the most stolen bases, he also took top billing for the most times caught stealing in a single season. He got thrown out (or "knocked down") thirty-one times that year. But... he got back up. And that's why we remember him. Proverbs 24:16: "For a righteous man falls seven times and rises again."

Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Illustrations Unlimited, by Editor James S. Hewett