“I will not leave you comfortless.” This is what Jesus told his followers before He gave himself on the cross to take upon our sins and infirmities. He promised His Holy Spirit to dwell with all those who believe in Him.
When we face troubles and discouragement, the Father gives us the Holy Spirit to help us. When we know not what to pray He utters groans within us to intercede on our behalf. We are in a battle between good and evil. The Lord set His seal, the deposit of the Holy Spirit, in us to keep up until the day we see Him as He is and we finish our race here on earth.
The whole purpose of man is to know the one who made him through His son Jesus Christ. All else are the details of life. Our daily tasks and efforts we offer to Him, our daily guidance and life’s path we leave to Him. As He directs and leads us, so comes our satisfaction for all we do, in lofty or ignoble tasks, can all be offered to Him. Not one ounce of energy, when working as unto the Lord, is wasted. When we lose our focus on the purposes of God in us then comes the battle with discouragement.
This weapon of the enemy runs rampant in our world. Do not try to fight spiritual battles, the wars that rage within us, with fleshly weapons. Even discouragement is a flaming arrow of the enemy that can be overcome by His presence.
When we are often discouraged, do not lose heart, even the mighty men of old had to hear the same words of comfort uttered to them – be not discouraged. The enemy shows us what the circumstance looks like and paints such a bleak picture. Our hearts lose hope and we are cast down. This is where the battle is. Will you believe there is another possible ending to the picture that has been painted before you?
When we face discouragements of many kinds whether we face opposition or suffer from wounds inflected on us the feelings of helplessness and futility often come rushing in. This is the weapon of the enemy – to discourage even to the point of total loss of hope. All of these are tactics of the enemy, thoughts of discouragement can fill our mind and paralyze us to the point of being ineffective even in those things we know God called us to do.
The enemy of our souls has had 6,000 years to perfect this potent weapon of discouragement and each person is discouraged by a specific thing in their lives. You cannot look at one and say, why are you downcast this is not a big deal? For the feelings of despondency and hopelessness can be just as strong in one with a different circumstance as it is in our own circumstances. One person’s discouragement may stem from a source that no one sees – our own feelings of fear or regret and another’s may come from outside circumstances that oppress and push down upon them. The source of discouragement may come from an event or it may be in a place of long suffering where day to day you see no hope of change. Once we recognize we’ve been attacked and where we must go to get relief, then there is hope.
Lift up your face, for your redemption draweth nigh. In the Father’s presence there is hope. The Holy Spirit is what brings us through these times and situations. Dare to believe what God says about you is true. Whatever things are good, lovely, admirable, right is from the Lord. He sees what He made you to be, and it is beyond even your best efforts at being your greatest self. He sees the magnificence that is in you, created in His image. Dare to believe that He desires that we have abundant life, the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy.
Is it a circumstance to come out of? A political power that causes oppression? Is it a healing or restoration you’ve longed to see for so long? Is it God’s promises fulfilled in your life? This is the point of our battle. Be strong and very courageous and do not be discouraged, believe that God desires the best for you and that by His sacrifice on the Cross you are worthy to receive the best.
Begin to speak out of your mouth praises to Him and life over the situation. Let the Holy Spirit utter wordless groans within you as you bow before His presence. Let Him use this time to change and refine you so that when the breakthrough comes you will be ready and come out unscathed. Do not speak discouraging words, words of disbelief, speculations, or judgments – rather, speak those words of life that will change the circumstance. Learn and speak forth scriptures from His word in the Holy Bible, for these are life to us and health to all our flesh. As you are with the Father your heart will begin to change and you will see your circumstance how He sees it and discern what He wants in it. Begin to speak forth those words when the thoughts of discouragement surface.
As we walk with the Lord, we gain strength in the area of recognizing and resisting discouragement. Be not hard on yourself when you fall prey to such thoughts and feelings, but do not dwell in this place. Come out, for the Lord has so much more for you to do and mighty things to show you.
- “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
- “See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 1:21
- “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.” Deuteronomy 31:8
- “Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land.” Joshua 8:1
- “Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.” Joshua 10:25
- “David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.” I Chronicles 28:20
- “He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.” II Chronicles 20:15-17
- “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.” Isaiah 42:3-4
- “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
- “ I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” John 14:18
- “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” Romans 8:26
- “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” II Corinthians 10:4
- “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Philippians 4:8
- “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10