Isaiah 42:6-7 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
DISCOURAGEMENT: A sense of unhappiness arising from a loss of confidence in one’s abilities,
• a loss of our dependence on God or in the power of the Gospel.
THE WORD DISCOURAGEMENT COMES FROM THE ROOT WORD COURAGE.
• The prefix dis- means “the opposite of.”
• Discouragement is the opposite of courage
WHEN WE ARE DISCOURAGED, WE HAVE LOST THE MOTIVATION TO PRESS FORWARD.
• The mountain seems too high to climb
• the valley too dark
• or the battle too fierce
• and we lose the courage to continue.
Joshua 1:9: 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.
• After God’s leader, Moses, died
• Joshua had “big shoes” to fill
• But God told Joshua that “HE” would be with Him
Deuteronomy 31:6: Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
GOD COMMANDS HIS PEOPLE TO TAKE COURAGE
Psalm 31:24: Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.
Psalm 27:14: Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
THE APOSTLE PAUL’S MINISTRY BROUGHT DIFFICULTIES, DISAPPOINTMENTS, FAILURES AND DISCOURAGEMENT.
• But he never quit
• He was committed to the work
• that God called him too
AT THE END OF HIS MINISTRY HE WROTE IN
2 Tim 4:6-7:For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.7 I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
TO BE A COMMITTED MINISTER OR EVEN A CHRISTIAN
• takes everything a person has
• A selfless commitment
• Which sometimes can bring Depression and Discouragement
PAUL WANTED TO TELL TIMOTHY TO “DEAL WITH” THE SAME KINDS OF SITUATIONS THAT HE HAD TO FACE IN THE MINISTRY
2 Timothy 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God;
• Don’t expect things to be a piece of cake
• Smooth sailing
2 Timothy 2:3: Paul said: Thou, therefore, endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
Give your heart to Jesus today by saying this prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin. Please forgive me. Come into my life. I receive You as my Lord and Savior. Please, help me to live for you the rest of this life. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus, I pray.
Amen.