2 Corinthians 2:8-11 KJV
8 Wherefore I beseech you that ye would
confirm your love toward him. 9 For to
this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be
obedient in all things. 10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also:
for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it
in the person of Christ; 11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for
we are not ignorant of his devices.
One of Satan's premium weapons of attack is
Discouragement! Many saints of God have laid down arms never to take them up
again because they gave in to discouragement. The children of Israel in Numbers
14 became very discouraged at the report of the 10 spies concerning giants in
the land. The Bible says: And all the congregation lifted up their
voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. And all the children of
Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said
unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had
died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land,
to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it
not better for us to return into Egypt? Numbers 14:1-3 KJV
Again the Bible records: And they journeyed from mount Hor
by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the
people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against
God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in
the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul
loatheth this light bread. Numbers 21:4-5 KJV
Job complained: My soul is weary of my life; I
will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with
me. Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest
despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked? Job
10:1-3 KJV
Then we have Elijah, Joshua, Nehemiah's people
and David!
A young woman went to her mother and told her
about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it
and wanted to give up. She was tired of
fighting and struggling. It seemed as
one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took
her to the kitchen. She filled three
pots with water and placed each on a high fire.
Soon the pots came to boil. In
the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last
she placed ground coffee beans. She let
them sit and boil, without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the
burners.
She fished the
carrots out and placed them in a bowl.
She pulled the
eggs out and placed them in a bowl.
Then she ladled
the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.
Turning to her
daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what you see?"
"Carrots,
eggs, and coffee," she replied. Her
mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots.
She did and
noted that they were soft. The mother
then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it.
After pulling
off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip
the coffee. The daughter smiled as she
tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then
asked, "What does it mean, mother?"
Her mother explained that each of these
objects had faced the same adversity ...
boiling water. Each reacted
differently. The carrot went in strong,
hard, and unrelenting. However, after
being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid
interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became
hardened.
The ground
coffee beans were unique, however. After
they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
"Which are you?" she asked her
daughter. "When adversity knocks on
your door, how do you respond?
Are you a
carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"
Think of this:
Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems
strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my
strength? Am I the egg that starts with
a malleable heart, but changes with the heat?
Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial
hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the
inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the
very circumstance that brings the pain.
When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at
their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are
their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
We will now examine
some instances of discouragement in the Bible and see what we can
1.
WE CAN BECOME DISCOURAGED AS A RESULT OF DISAPPOINTMENTS WHEN OUR EFFORTS
APPEARS TO HAVE FAILED TO PRODUCE FRUIT AS ELIJAH’S WERE
1 Kings 19:1-10 KJV And
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the
prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel
sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also,
if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this
time. 3 And when he saw that, he arose,
and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and
left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the
wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for
himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my
life; for I am not better than my fathers.
5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel
touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a
cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down
again. 7 And the angel of the LORD came
again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the
journey is too great for thee. 8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went
in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount
of God. 9 And he came thither unto a
cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he
said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
10 And he said, I have been very
jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy
covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and
I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
Elijah had high hopes for Israel. The nation
will see the mighty power of Yahweh on display and will recognize that the
futile efforts of Baal's worshipers fade into insignificance and there will be
a widespread revival and returning to Yahweh! Unfortunately Jezebel put a spoke
into the wheel by seeking Elijah's life. It resulted in this man who had shaken
his fist under Ahab's nose and killed 450 prophets of Baal running for his life
and then asking Yahweh to take him away. How many time haven't we after a great
experience in our lives often found ourselves confronted by a vicious onslaught
from the devil that makes us want to curl up and die. The enemy will try to
make you look like you have been wasting your time serving God and you will end
up feeling no better that the others who fell. We can end up feeling as though
no one else is for God and we are all alone but then God reminds us that we are
not alone and indispensable. Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel,
all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not
kissed him. 1 Kings 19:18 KJV
God ended up finding a
replacement for Elijah before taking him out of the way
2. WE
CAN BECOME DISCOURAGED AS A RESULT OF DISAPPEARANCE OF OUR MENTORS AND LEADERS
AND PEOPLE WE LOOK UP TO AS JOSHUA DID TO MOSES
Joshua 1:1-9 KJV Now
after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD
spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, 2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore
arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do
give to them, even to the children of Israel.
3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I
given unto you, as I said unto Moses. 4
From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river
Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the
going down of the sun, shall be your coast.
5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of
thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee,
nor forsake thee. 6 Be strong and of a
good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the
land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. 7 Only be thou strong and very courageous,
that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant
commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou
mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
8 This book of the law shall not
depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that
thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then
thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of
a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God
is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Joshua loved a war so
much that he once even thought that the sound of a feast and revelry was the noise
of war until Moses corrected him. After this Moses died Joshua felt alone and
helpless. How often have we not felt helpless and powerless when a mentor or
someone we looked up to is no longer there. We feel tiny and insignificant for
the great task lying before us. That is when we need to hear God's assurance
and absorb His promises. Be strong and of good courage! I will never leave you
nor forsake you.
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give
you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of
truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth
him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not
leave you comfortless: I will come to you. John 14:16-18 KJV
3.
WE CAN BECOME DISCOURAGED WHEN DAUNTED AS A RESULT OF THE UPHILL TASK WE APPEAR
TO FACE
Nehemiah 4:1-3 KJV But it came to pass, that when Sanballat
heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and
mocked the Jews. 2 And he spake before his brethren and the army
of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves?
will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the
stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? 3 Now
Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a
fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.
Nehemiah 4:10-12 KJV And Judah said, The strength of the bearers
of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to
build the wall. 11 And our adversaries said, They shall not
know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and
cause the work to cease. 12 And it came to pass, that when the Jews which
dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye
shall return unto us they will be upon you.
Nehemiah's people
became discouraged at the huge uphill task they faced. The rubbish was too much
(it's amazing how much garbage can pile up if left alone!) Their strength was
on the decrease and they had fierce adversaries to contend with. Isn't this the
way it is in our work for God? We feel it is too much to clear the dirt away
and the enemy is voracious. Our strength fades and we like Peter begin sinking
beneath it all. It's time to band together and fight for the Christ Cause! It's
time to hold those all night prayer meetings regardless of who attends for How
should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their
Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up? Deuteronomy 32:30 KJV
4.
WE CAN BECOME DISCOURAGED AS A RESULT OF DISASTER, DOUBTS, DISCORD AND
DISCONTENT AS DAVID EXPERIENCED
And it came to pass, when David and his men
were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the
south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire; 2 And
had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either
great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way. 3 So
David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and
their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. 4 Then
David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until
they had no more power to weep. 5 And David's two wives were taken captives,
Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 6 And
David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the
soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his
daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. 1 Samuel 30:1-6
KJV
Poor David! He was
leader of a band of rugged lawless rebels who had just discovered that their
homes were burned and their families taken captive. They were all ready to
stone David. But what did David do? Among the rubble and ashes of complete
desolation and devastation he encouraged himself in the Lord and then with the
Lord's help proceed to take back all that was stolen from them!
Paul said to the
Corinthian church:
8 We
are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in
despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but
not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of
the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our
body. 11
For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that
the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 So
then death worketh in us, but life in you.
13 We having the same spirit of
faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we
also believe, and therefore speak;
14 Knowing that he which raised
up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with
you. 15
For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through
the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 16 For
which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man
is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a
moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which
are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which
are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:8-18 KJV
And to the Romans:
Who shall separate us
from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or
famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are
killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in
all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I
am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor
powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any
other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord .Romans 8:35-39 KJV
It does not matter what is the devil’s worst! It
will not remain forever!
When
times are going great...we seldom ask, "How much longer is this going to
last"?
But, when times
are rough...they seem to go on and on and on. We begin to wonder if it will
ever end.
The story is
told of a Sunday class that had been asked the question, “in your time of discouragement,
what is your favorite Scripture?”
A young man
said, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; Psalm 23:1.”
A middle aged
woman said, “God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble;
Psalm 46:1”
Another woman
said, “In this world you shall have tribulations, but be of good cheer, I have
overcome this world; John 16:33-35.”
Then John, an 80
years old man said, “and it came to pass; 396 times in the bible". The
class started to laugh a nervous laugh, thinking that old John’s lack of memory
was getting the best of him.
When the
snickering stopped, he said. "At 30 I lost my job with six hungry mouths
and a wife to feed. I didn’t know how I would make it. At 40 my eldest son was
killed overseas in the war. It knocked me down. At 50 my house burned to the
ground. Nothing was saved out of the house. At 60 my wife of 40 years got
cancer. It slowly ate away at her. We cried together many a night on our knees
in prayer. At 65 she died. I still miss her today. The agony I went through in
each of these situations was unbelievable. I wondered where God was. But each
time I looked in the bible I saw one of those 396 verses that said, “and it
came to pass.” I felt that God was telling me, my pain and my circumstances
were also going to pass and that God would get me through it."
When life gets
rough, we need to remember ol’ John’s verse, “and it came to pass.”
1 Corinthians
15:51-58 KJV 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at
the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on
incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be
brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in
victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks
be to God, which giveth us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in
the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in
the Lord.
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