HOW CAN I DEAL WITH DISCOURAGEMENT? (JER. 29:11)
DO YOU EVER FEEL TEMPTED TO GIVE UP? PERHAPS RIGHT NOW YOU FEEL OVERLOOKED,FORGOTTEN. MISTREATED,AND YOU WANT TO QUIT. SATAN'S GOAL IS TO GET YOU TO DO JUST THAT-THROW IN THE TOWEL AND CALL IT QUITS. DISCOURAGEMENT IS HIS FAVORITE WEAPON.
BUT REMEBER THIS: WHILE DISSAPPOINTMENTS ARE INEVITABLE, DISCOURAGEMNET IS A CHOICE.
ONCE WE YIELD THE DEVILS DEBILITATING WHISPERS OF FEAR, WE QUICKLY FIND OURSELVES TRAPPER IN A WEB OF SELF-PITY. SOONAFTERWARDS WE TRY TO JUSTIFY OUR FEELINGS OF ANGER,ENVY, AND JEALOUSY.ENCOURAGEMENT RARELY COMESTO THOSE LOOKING TO JUSTIFY THEMSELVES.
DURING A TROUBLING TIME IN ISRAEL'S HISTORY, GOD DIRECTED JEREMIAH TO SPEAK WORDS OF HOPE AND ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE DISHEARTEND EXILES IN BABYLON: "FOR I KNOW THE THOUGHTS THAT I THINK TOWARD YOU, SAYS THE LORD, THOUGHTS OF PEACEAND NOT OF EVIL, TO GIVE YOU A FUTURE AND A HOPE." IF WE ARE EVER GOING TO REACH OUR FULL POTENTIAL, WE MUST UNDERSTAND A VERY IMPORTANT TRUTH: GOD IS FOR US. HE IS NOT AGAINST US. IN BABYLON,ISRAEL SORTED OUT HER FAITH AND REDISCOVERED HER DEEP NEED FOR THE LORD.
GOD OFTEN USES TRIALS TO POSITION US FOR GREATER BLESING. EVEN IN TIMES OF GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT, HE HAS OUR BET IN MY MIND. HE KNOWS HOW HE WANTS TO USE THE DISAPPOINTMENT OR HARDSHIP FOR OUR BENEFIT AND HE DESIRES THAT WE SEE HIM AS OUR ONLY SOURCE OF SALVATION OR BLESSING. WHEN YOU FEEL TO TEMPTED YIELD TO DISCOURAGEMENT, GO TO GOD IN PRAYER. TELL HIM ALL YOU ARE FEELING-THE UNKIND WAYS YOU HAVE BEEN TREATED THAT DO NOT SEEM FAIR TO YOU. GOD HAS AN OBJECTIVE VIEW OF THE SITUATION. HE SEES THE FUTURE ANDKNOWS THE DIRECTION OF YOUR LIFE WILL TAKE. HE ALSO WANTS YOU TO TOTALLY DEPEND ON HIM AND NOT RELY ON THE COMPLIMENTS OR RESOURCES OF OTHERS. WHILE DISAPPOINTMENTS WILL COME- YOU LIVE IN A FALLEN WORLD, AFTER ALL- YOU CAN LIVE ABOVE IT BY FOCUSING YOUR HEART ON JESUS CHRIST.