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Word for Today, Tue, 04 May 2004: Dealing with Discouragement

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Word for Today, Tue, 04 May 2004: Dealing with Discouragement
Dear friends,

This weekend, we celebrate Mother's Day, so don't forget that
special person who brought you into this world and nurtured you.

I've written a few times about discouragement. Lately I've been
doing through some times of discouragement, so I have to remind
myself what the Bible has to say about discouragement and how the
people of the Bible have dealt with their discouragement.

The Bible contains stories of how people deal properly with the
issues in their life, but if you know the Bible well, it also
provides many examples of times in which people neither followed
God nor behaved well at all.

The books of the Psalms contain many songs and prayers. Some of
them are downright complaints, others are beautiful songs of
praise and thanksgiving. I recommend that you get to know the
Psalms.

This message gives examples of both Old and New Testament people
of God, and how they dealt with times of discouragement.

The recommended remedy to discouragement is to do the following:

1. Confess discouragement to God and ask for discouragement.

2. Express thanks to God for all the wonderful things He has
done.

3. Think about and remember events in your life where God has
been faithful and has delivered you.

4. Remember your own personal salvation. (If you can't remember
it, seek the salvation of God, for He offers salvation to all who
trust in His Word and in His Son, Jesus Christ, who freely admit
that they need to be saved from something (that something is
sin).

5. Read your Bible every day.

6. Pray again about what you read.

7. When you find yourself getting discouraged, repeat these
steps.

8. Seek the encouragement and fellowship of those in a church
family who believe that God's Word is true, who believe that the
Bible is God's inspired Word to us.

Yours in Christ,
Brian

Read Proverbs 31 to find out what the Bible says about the
importance of mothers and their role in the home.

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Harvest Daily Devotional

May 4
Dealing with Discouragement

"Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted
within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of
my countenance and my God." (Psalm 42:11)

It is not unusual for even the most spiritual people to have
their days of doubt. Moses, on one occasion at least, was
overwhelmed by his circumstances. After he had listened to the
constant complaining of the children of Israel, he basically told
the Lord, "I'm fed up. Just kill me. I don't want to deal with
this another day."

Elijah, after his contest with the prophets of Baal on
Mt. Carmel, heard that Jezebel had put a contract out on his
life. He was so overwhelmed by his circumstances, so discouraged,
so uncertain, and so filled with doubt that he said to God, "Take
my life."

Even the great apostle Paul had moments when he was discouraged.
He wrote to the church at Corinth, "We were burdened beyond
measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life" (2
Corinthians 1:8).

Jeremiah, the great prophet, faced it as well. He was ridiculed
and harassed for giving out the Word of God. Because he was
tired of the pressure he was facing, it made him want to stop
giving out God's Word altogether. He said, "The word of the Lord
was made to me a reproach and a derision daily. Then I said, 'I
will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name' "
(Jeremiah 20:8-9).

You are not the only one who has ever faced doubt or uncertainty
or has been perplexed as to why God did not work in a certain
way. We may be in the midst of God's working and can't see the
big picture as He can.

Copyright C 2004 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New King
James Version, copyright C 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/

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