Have you ever struggled with saying yes to something you felt God was asking you to do? You knew that it was going to be difficult, but you determined to do it no matter what it might cost you. I think we all have.
I have a friend who made a decision many years ago to leave behind her old lifestyle and to serve the Lord in a new way. She is from a large family, and at the time she knew that her siblings would make fun of her and put her down. They wouldn't invite her to some of their gatherings. But she held on to her commitment, and when they did invite her to be with them, she loved them and was gracious despite their words. It took many years, but she became a testament for her family--a sign of hope saying there is a God. Today, many of her family members have committed their lives to Christ because of the power of her yes, because she dared to hold on to her commitment even when it was hard.
Do you think Noah struggled to say yes when God spoke to him about building a huge ark? He knew that people would ridicule him and call him crazy. It took decades to build that ark, but Noah kept working and working at what God had told him to do. He didn’t let people’s criticism and unbelief change his steadfast commitment to God, and the day came when he and his family were saved from the flood.
The Scripture encourages us "to hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23), because God knows that we will face a lot of opportunities and reasons to give up our commitment to believing His promises. People will criticize you. They won't understand what God has spoken to you, and by their words and actions they will try to convince you to give up. Time passes, and you wonder, "God, did You really speak to me? Should I let it go?"
No matter what opposition you face, hold fast to your commitment to God. It’s up to you and me to declare God's goodness, to hold fast to His promises, and to not pay attention to the naysayers and all the things that come against us. We just need to keep marching on with God, because He is faithful, and He will bring it to pass. Remember that every time you say yes to God, you're one step closer to the next place God has for you, and you will be a beacon of hope to all those around you.