dis·cour·age·ment
[ˌdisˈkərijmənt]
NOUN
- a loss of confidence or enthusiasm; dispiritedness: "do not give in to discouragement"
- an attempt to prevent something by showing disapproval or creating difficulties; deterrent: "the discouragement of crime"*
I would imagine that most
of us have had to deal with times of discouragement in our lives. I heard a story yesterday about a leader
named David who returned to his hometown with his faithful and devoted army of
600 men only to find their town burned to the ground and all their families and
stuff gone. The tale goes on to tell how
David was beside himself with sorrow and regret and then to make matters even
worse, his men began to turn on him as they blamed him for their loss and
wanted to stone him!
Talk about fighting discouragement! In
that particular set of circumstances, I think I can relate to how he must have
felt… and I’m sure it wasn’t too positive. So what do you think he did? Did he go off into a corner and feel sorry
for himself? Did he jump on his horse
and skedaddle? (Did they even use horses in battle back then? How about camels…)
Well… this story which is
recorded in the Biblical book of I Samuel 30 tells us in verse six that David resisted
the fear and anger that was plaguing his army and instead “encouraged himself in the Lord.” (KJV) And you know what happened? Let me tell you… after getting built back up
in the Lord, he sought the Lord’s directions, gathered up his troops and went
after the enemy where they found them “scattered
all over the place, eating and drinking, gorging themselves on all the loot
they had plundered from Philistia and Judah.” (I Samuel 30:16 MSG)
The next verse says that David and his army “pounced”
on them, defeated them and got everyone and
everything taken from them back safe
and sound!
Now that’s the kind of
ending to a story that I like… how about
you? Hearing this story at church
really encouraged me yesterday and confirmed what I believe the Lord had shown
me during my personal Bible study before my breakfast.
I always help Piper with
her morning meal before I feed the dog, study the Word and then feed myself! Well… yesterday’s breakfast for my wife did
not go too smoothly. From the onset, she
was not real interested in swallowing anything I gave her. For a while there it seemed like I was getting
more on my hands than in her mouth! But
I persevered and even though it took quite a while, she was finally able to
consume a satisfactory amount of her breakfast drinks.
To say that I was tempted
to be more than a little discouraged would be putting it mildly! By the time we were done I was feeling
frustrated, upset and almost ready to throw in the towel. I sat at the table next to her for a while rubbing
my tired eyes and considered all the thoughts going through my head, but you know… I deliberately chose to
not say a thing. Instead I slowly got
up, put the lease on the dog and took him outback for his morning constitutional.
Once out in the cool of
the mid-October morning, I listened to the songs of the birds in the trees,
watched a squirrel run up the side of our fence and reflected on the blue skies
surrounding the puffy white clouds overhead. Once Fiver was done, he jerked me back to
reality as he pulled me up the stairs to the deck so he could get inside and
have his breakfast! After I got his food
prepared in his special bowl and placed it on his mat next to the refrigerator,
I poured a hot insulated cup of Starbucks Carmel flavored coffee and sat down
at my computer Bible Study program and began to pray for directions.
During this whole time
since feeding my wife, I felt like I was in a fog. I was fighting through a sense of
hopelessness which is normally quite unusual for me and dealing with a strong
desire to give into the discouragement that seemed to be screaming at me from
all directions! As my attempts to quiet
myself down began to succeed, I heard a soft voice inside of me encouraging me
to turn to Proverbs 3:5-6. So I clicked
a few keys on my laptop, highlighted the God’s Word © translation, clicked the
mouse to the correct scripture address and read:
“Trust the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on
your own understanding. In all your ways
acknowledge him, and he will make your paths smooth.”
Now, what you see above
are the words that were visible on my computer screen, but what I actually saw
was:
“Trust in ME Jim
with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge ME, and I will make your paths smooth.”
You talk about the effects
of a cool drink of water to a hot, exhausted and worn out body (soul and spirit as well!) Yummmm…
with those two sentences, I flopped back in my seat and quietly began to
thank the Lord for just the right WORD
at just the right time! I think at that moment in time, David and I
were like two peas in a pod!
Instead of giving into
discouragement, Papa God helped me to keep my mouth shut until I could turn to
Him and seek His support and guidance in my time of need.
What about you today? Are you feeling
discouraged about anything? It could be
your health or like me, the health of someone very close and special to
you. It could be a financial need, a
situation at work or in your family… or it could be just about anything no
matter how outrageously large or ridiculously small in size and effect in your
life. Whatever it is… it matters big
time to God!
And let me tell you… He
does not want you to give into discouragement because He has and IS the answer for
your need. He loves you SO much that He doesn’t want you wasting
even a second of your life being discouraged when He can be your uplifting
support, comfort and strong fortress!
The King James Version of
David’s story says that, “David
encouraged himself in the Lord.” The
Hebrew term “encouraged” means “to fasten upon (the Lord), to be strengthened,
made courageous, to be cured, fortified, repaired and/or become obstinate (in
your unwavering trust in the Lord for your life).” Just reading that definition makes me
feel better… how about you? Just think about it for a moment. All those attributes are what our heavenly
Father wants us to be in and through our connection with Him! Wow… so when you and I are weak, He is
strong!
Thank you Lord! Have a great new week, and as you do, keep
asking yourself… “What or Whom am I
expecting to turn to for strength and support when discouragement rears its
ugly head around me?”
*Powered by Oxford Dictionaries · © Oxford University
Press · Translation by Bing Translator
No comments:
Post a Comment
Your thoughts are welcomed. Please keep them within the context and flavor of this blog.