Hope and Comfort · Emotional Healing

Discouraged?

4 min read, approximately

“For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first. For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them. It has happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog turning to his own vomit again, and the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire.” (2 Peter 2:20-22)

“Jehovah, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that thou makest account of him?” (Psalms 144:3)

That a great, wonderful, and powerful God should take an interest in you and me, to give us a new opportunity, life and life in abundance… This is amazing!

“Beware lest thou forget Jehovah thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his ordinances, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:” (Deuteronomy 8:11)

If we continually asked ourselves, “What did God bring us out of?”… and then asked ourselves again, “And now, who are we in God?”, discouragement could not enter our lives, because there would be no way in.

However,

“… all who want to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12)

“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you; yea and before governors and kings shall ye be brought for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, be not anxious how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you. And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and the father his child: and children shall rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.” (Matthew 10:16-22)

It is no surprise that the “thief of our souls” knows this too. So he will persistently overwhelm us, burden us, and subject us to stressful situations and impatience so that we lose faith, stop meditating on God’s Word, let discouragement in, and then turn away and forget who we are in God… clouding the part of our thinking where we remembered “what God brought us out of”…

How can we thwart the master plan of the enemy of our lives?

His master plan rests on 3 pillars: “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10). It is no surprise that he will try to steal our courage, joy, and peace… But today God tells us:

1.

“Though a host should encamp against me, My heart shall not fear: Though war should rise against me, Even then will I be confident.” (Psalms 27:3)

because “A thousand will fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.” (Psalms 91:7)

2.  Let us be calm and trust that

“… The Son of God appeared for this purpose: to undo the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8b)

Is anyone more powerful than Jesus?

“Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven and [things] on earth and [things] under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

3. Therefore,

“let us hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not; for he is faithful that promised:” (Hebrews 10:23)

Let us take courage! It is worthwhile to serve and walk on the winning team… Our commander is none other than a Mighty Giant!

_**Remember to visit the Songbook

May God continue to bless you, and may you keep having an excellent day in Christ Jesus!