Discouragement

Yesterday I had a booth at a Book Fair and didn't sell a single book. Not even one. Needless to say, discouragement settled heavily around me as I began the long drive home afterward. Discouragement is a formidable foe. It stirs up the voices of deceit that lie in wait, the voices that assert, "You're not good enough. Why would God bless you in this? You don't deserve it." Discouragement holds up a Fun House mirror to distort our reflection, so what we see is contorted and false.

The advantage of a long drive home is the opportunity to allow God to intervene in such a battle. When discouragement assails us, the most effective defence is to put prayer and scripture between it and our hearts.

In claiming the Promised Land, the Israelites would have to battle armies that seemed far more powerful and mighty than their own. Discouragement was a definite factor in this undertaking. In Deuteronomy 31: 8 Moses makes this declaration to them, "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." The same is true for us. God will never leave us. He is there to fight our battles for us.

Another verse that came to mind as I was driving was Jeremiah 31: 3:

            The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying,
"I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”

The promises I have from scripture to wrangle with discouragement are: God will never leave me. He will fight for me. His love is everlasting. His kindness is unfailing. Powerful weapons!

Put these two verses in your back pocket! Whenever you are discouraged, pull them out as reminders of who you are in Christ. Let God fight the battle with discouragement for you.