Discouragement

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NLT)
8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.

The Apostle Paul accounts for the sufferings endured as they have followed Christ. But even in those troubles there was always hope; for God was always with them. While enemies may attack and friends let us down we are never forsaken by God.

King David understood God was always with him even in moments of discouragement and despair. In Psalm 138:7 he wrote, “"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me; Thou shalt stretch forth Thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand shall save me." There are times when life can be discouraging. Many times our discouragement comes from focusing on the problem instead of trying to see what God wants to show us. For instance when the Israelites heard there were giants in Canaan they began to weep because they saw their limitations instead of seeing God’s awesome power. Job faced the misery of physical illness and in his bitterness he declared God wasn’t fair, but God was showing Job something special about himself. Rachel was bitter and discouraged about not having children and even said to Jacob, “Give me children or I will die!” Rachel was letting a situation she had no control over discourage her. Yet God had the power to answer Rachel’s prayers and He did so. Elijah came to a point of wanting to die after the emotional and physical exhaustion of running from Jezebel who wanted to kill him. Ironically what he was trying to avoid he was desperate to seek because he wasn’t paying attention to what God was ready to do; for God had 4,000 other men who would stand with Elijah against Jezebel. Like those before us instead of focusing on our problems we need to focus on God’s ability. We need to remember His promises, see His awesome power, and understand that which we can’t change, God can.