DISCOURAGEMENT – THE DEBILITATING EMOTION THAT CAN DEVASTATE

BIBLE PASSAGE:
He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty.
The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars,
and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one
left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
(1 Kings 19:10)

MEDITATION:
Discouragement can strike anyone at any time. It can be triggered
by a failure, by an unkind word from someone else, or any number
of other things we may experience. Whenever we get discouraged,
we often blame others for our predicament. We hear excuses like,
    “I just can’t help it, this is just the way I am”,
  or
    “I don’t like being the way I am,
      but that’s just the way God made me”

Some blame God for not giving them enough of what they need.
Elijah was discouraged because he was the only one left and others
wanted to kill him. He had a blurred perception of the future and
God’s providential care. Discouragement had robbed the prophet
of the vision of God and His love.

Rather than relying on God to provide for his needs, Elijah was
having a pity party. As we see later, Elijah was not alone and
God would bring encouragement even when everything seemed
gloomy and hopeless.
    Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose
    knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose
    mouths have not kissed him.”
    (1 Kings 19:18)

Elijah had misread his situation because he forgot about the
God who loved him and would be there for him in his time of
need. As a result, he became discouraged. If it can happen to
a prophet of God, it can happen to you and me.

We are all subject to the discouragements of life that can sweep
us into a danger zone, but we need to remind ourselves that God
has the answer for our discouragement. For us, His answer came
in the flesh of Jesus Christ. We need to claim our place in Christ.
We need to choose today to move from a place of discouragement
to one of victory in Jesus.

We have the God-given right to take authority over our situation,
to rebuke the enemy, and to take back our life. The answer for
discouragement is not in what we have, but it is in the provisions
from heaven itself.

ACTION:
If you, or someone you know, are in a discouraged place, put
that discouragement in the hands of God. Get up from where
you are and start moving with a faith in God. Go for walk and
remind yourself about the man or woman of God that you are.
One drop of Jesus’ blood is more than enough to sustain us for
a life of faith in Him.

Maybe you’ve tried everything you can think of to try and
overcome discouragement in your life. Never forget that we
have a loving God who has the answers and solutions that
we, and the world, do not. If you do not have a relationship
with the Lord, then maybe it’s time to ‘connect’ with Him.

If you have received salvation from the Lord, but for some
reason you have wandered away from Him, maybe it’s time
to ‘reconnect’ with Him so you can rely on His wisdom and
guidance to help you in your time of need, and especially
when you are discouraged.
    Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me,
    you have believed; blessed are those who have not
    seen and yet have believed.”
    (John 20:29)

    Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even
    though you do not see him now, you believe in him and
    are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you
    are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of
    your souls.
    (1 Peter 1:8-9)

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, no matter how busy I am, time alone with
You provides me with the stability I need to handle whatever
comes my way. Help me, Lord, to spend more time with You
and listen for Your words of encouragement. Remind me of
how You provide for all my needs, including the ability to
overcome discouragement. Prevent me from being controlled
by discouragement and depression. Teach me that true faith
in You will prevent me from being controlled by these two
devastating emotions in my life.”

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