Perseverance\u2026continuing in spite of difficulty. I may be an expert on this topic. But before discussing that, I need to address another matter.<\/p>\n
The new General Data Protection Regulation (known as GDPR) went into effect recently. To comply with GDPR consent requirements, I need to know that you want to continue hearing from me. For blog subscribers who want to receive my emails, no action is necessary. If you do not, just click the \u201cUnsubscribe\u201d link below. Hope you\u2019ll stay with me! Now, let\u2019s get back on topic.<\/em><\/p>\n Years ago, I made a note in my journal. \u201cI don\u2019t love doing this.\u201d The Lord had given an assignment and I\u2019d grown weary.<\/p>\n \u201cIt all looks hopeless,\u201d I whined. Before the ink dried, a sweet voice in my spirit reminded me, \u201cFocus on God, not hopeless circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n Much time has passed since I recorded those thoughts, and sometimes I still need encouragement to persevere.<\/p>\n My friend Donna enjoys crafts. Surprised to learn she\u2019d abandoned a favorite project to begin something new, I asked why.<\/p>\n She said, \u201cIt wasn\u2019t fun anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n When life dumps us in places that aren\u2019t much fun, we keep going through sheer determination of the will\u2014and confidence in the God who put us there.<\/p>\n Recently I interviewed my biblical friend, Noah. I suspect his middle name is \u201cPerseverance.\u201d<\/p>\n Before I share our imaginary conversation, here\u2019s the back story.<\/p>\n The Lord saw the wickedness of man\u2026thinking evil continually.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved at heart. So the Lord said, \u2018I will destroy, blot out, and wipe away mankind,\u00a0 whom I have created from the face of the ground\u2014not only man, [but] the beasts and the creeping things and the birds of the air\u2014for it grieves Me and makes Me regretful that I have made them\u2019\u201d (Genesis 6:6-7 Amp.)<\/p>\n In this wicked culture, \u201cNoah found grace (favor) in the eyes of the Lord\u201d (6:8). And God chose him for a mighty work.<\/p>\n He instructed Noah to build an ark\u2014a massive vessel to carry him, his family, and two of every living thing\u2014fowls and birds, beasts, every creeping thing.<\/p>\n Can you say mind-boggling? I asked Noah about this extreme assignment.<\/p>\n Q: How did it happen, that encounter with God?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIt was out of nowhere! I was minding my own business\u2026taking care of the family\u2026enjoying constant fellowship with God. Out of the blue he starts talking to me\u2014about imminent destruction\u2026rain coming\u2026he needed someone to build an ark.\u201d<\/p>\n Q: How did you respond?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cMy firsts thought was, Who, me?<\/em> This whole thing was overwhelming! I wasn\u2019t up to such an assignment. What would people think about this absolutely inconceivable project? Early on, I told a few neighbors hoping to spare them the dreadful outcome. They just mocked.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I started gathering materials and actually began construction, they joked, \u2018Old man Noah obviously suffers from dementia!\u2019 Seeing no rain and no river, they laughed hysterically, yelling, \u2018Bon voyage!\u2019 Despite the ridicule, my sons and I kept pounding the nails, one board at a time.<\/p>\n Q: Did you ever grow weary?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cOh, yes. Every day I mumbled to myself, \u2018I don\u2019t love doing this.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Q: How did you manage to stay on course and finish the work?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI had a calling from God. He gave clear instructions. And he never abandoned me.\u201d<\/p>\n Noah did all that God commanded him (Genesis 6:22 and 7:5). He built the ark\u2026one board at a time.<\/p>\n God sent the animals. Noah rounded up the family and the food. They got on board, the Lord shut the door, and the rains came.<\/p>\n Noah persevered when it wasn\u2019t fun. And the ark he built preserved a remnant of God\u2019s people.<\/p>\n \u201cI am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you\u201d (Jeremiah 32:27, 17).<\/p>\n Have you practiced perseverance when it wasn\u2019t fun, when you didn\u2019t love doing it? Please leave a comment. And share this post with friends who need encouragement today.<\/p>\n \u00a9 Dianne Barker 2018<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Perseverance\u2026continuing in spite of difficulty. I may be an expert on this topic. But before discussing that, I need to address another matter. The new General Data Protection Regulation (known as GDPR) went into effect recently. To comply with GDPR consent requirements, I need to know that you want to continue hearing from me. For […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[109,108,9,110,111,107],"class_list":["post-635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","tag-confidence-in-god","tag-determination","tag-dianne-barker","tag-hopeless","tag-nothing-is-too-hard-for-god","tag-perseverance-a-choice-when-life-isnt-fun"],"yoast_head":"\nPerseverance is what we do when it isn’t fun anymore.<\/strong><\/h3>\nPerseverance is what we do when it isn't fun anymore. <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span>\n
When all looks hopeless, I remind myself to focus on God, not hopeless circumstances.<\/strong><\/h3>\nWhen all looks hopeless, I remind myself to focus on God, not hopeless circumstances. <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span>\n