The devil wants to discourage you. He will whisper doubts in your ears to make you give up. There are several words in the Bible translated as discourage. One means to weaken (rapa). Another means to faint (masas). A third means to cut down or shorten (qasar).
These definitions lay out satan’s plan for your life. The enemy wants you to throw in the towel. If he can’t get you to give up altogether, he wants you to slow down.
The plot
Perhaps you were certain that you were about to get your breakthrough and then the cloud the size of a man’s hand floated back out to sea. Maybe everyone around you has been getting blessed while you have waited on the sidelines for what feels like an eternity.
It could be that you have been standing in faith, but you just don’t know how much longer you will have to wait. Surely it should have happened by now?
Perhaps people have made cruel comments that have caused you to crumple. Whatever caused it, remember that discouragement is dangerous and it seeks to delay or destroy your destiny.
We need faith and focus to fulfil our purpose so we cannot tolerate it in our hearts. Let’s look at three steps that will help us to kick discouragement out of our lives.
1. Remember our heroes struggled too
Abraham and Sarah were promised they would have a son, but nothing happened for more than two decades. Delay does not mean denial. 25 years later, they held their baby boy.
King David was given a word when he was a teenager that he would rule over Israel. After a brief period of prominence, everything went horribly wrong and the young warrior spent ten years on the run. Then a week after his darkest day, David was made King of Judah.
Joseph had a dream that he would be great, but he spent 13 years as a slave and in prison. Then one day, he was promoted straight from prisoner to prime minister. The God who has done it for them will also be faithful to you and I.
2. Remind yourself
Go back to the promises that God has given you. Dig out scriptures that confirm them. Remind yourself of every time that the Lord has come through. Shift your focus from your circumstances to His greatness and from the delay to His faithfulness.
3. Rebuke the devil
I started by saying that satan uses discouragement to derail God’s people. It is time to defeat the devil and kick discouragement out of your life. Rise up on the inside and rebuke every doubt.
Discouragement is when we lose courage. Joshua 1:9 says, “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Take courage. The same God who did it for Abraham, Joseph and David will come through for you.
One sure way to help yourself is to have your heart healed. If you’re carrying the pain of past disappointments or hurts inside, it will be harder to stand strong. Join us on the journey to wholeness by coming along to one of our events near you.
