The sky opened wide this afternoon, and raindrops the size of marbles splashed in tiny pools upon our faces.  We ran through the forest as thunder growled, surprised that the canopy overhead did so little to protect us from the rain.  I had no way of knowing that the afternoon thundershower was about to be a reminder of God’s purpose for the storms of life. God’s Purpose for the Storms of Life As the dusty trail turned slick with mud beneath our feet, my son’s laughter was drowned out by the roar of falling sky meeting leaves and earth. We reached the truck saturated and mud-covered up to our knees,…

The way the mittenlike leaf of the poplar unfurls from its tiny burgundy bud is an astonishing mystery to me.  In these moments of wonder, the rhythms of the natural world offer encouragement about the importance of perseverance.  Today, we’ll explore 15 Bible verses about not giving up in adversity. I invite you to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you persevere through life’s difficult seasons. Bible Verses About Not Giving Up in Tough Times As the old poplar tree reminds me, when we stand strong in the face of challenges (including long winters, spiritually dry spells, and seasons of feeling defeated),…