Discouraged? Be Encouraged.

Have you ever been discouraged? Have you ever felt like there was no hope? I know I certainly have. For me, all it takes is a single thing to go wrong; a call that wasn’t returned, an unkind word, or a missed opportunity, to place me right into discouragement. I am very grateful that God has placed so many awesome friends in my life, who know when I am feeling discouraged, and know how to encourage me. Other than offering a kind word, almost all of these friends point me to scripture. It is by reading scripture, that I find the greatest amount of encouragement. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” (NLT) Consider also, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” (NLT)

The Word of God is powerful! It shows us what we are doing wrong, and how to fix it. It also encourages us by showing us the truth, and deflecting the lies. I have found that usually when I am discouraged, it is because of lie-based thinking. This means that when I am discouraged, it is usually because I have chosen to believe a lie either about myself or about my circumstances. The Word of God is more than powerful enough to dispel these lies and shed light onto the truth that does, indeed, set me free. When I am discouraged, I have found that the book of Psalms is an excellent place to look for encouragement.

Consider Psalm 18:30-36 (NLT)

30 God’s way is perfect.
All the Lord’s promises prove true.
He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
31 For who is God except the Lord?
Who but our God is a solid rock?
32 God arms me with strength,
and he makes my way perfect.
33 He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
34 He trains my hands for battle;
he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.
35 You have given me your shield of victory.
Your right hand supports me;
your help has made me great.
36 You have made a wide path for my feet
to keep them from slipping.

Wow! How encouraging is that!! The cool thing about scripture is that it comes from God and it is true! I have found it interesting to see that I am not the only one in the world who has ever been discouraged. Let’s take a look at Habakkuk, a prophet of God.


2 How long, O Lord, must I call for help?
But you do not listen!
“Violence is everywhere!” I cry,
but you do not come to save.
3 Must I forever see these evil deeds?
Why must I watch all this misery?
Wherever I look,
I see destruction and violence.
I am surrounded by people
who love to argue and fight.
4 The law has become paralyzed,
and there is no justice in the courts.
The wicked far outnumber the righteous,
so that justice has become perverted. (Habakkuk 1:2-4 NLT)

Habakkuk is discouraged! He knows what God has promised, but he is not seeing it. This is the source of his discouragement. Habakkuk was wondering how much longer the violence and misery was going to go on before it stopped and how much longer he was going to have to wait to finally see the fruits of God’s promises. He was tired of waiting. By the end of the book, it appears that Habakkuk is no longer discouraged, but encouraged. I am quite in awe over the similarities between what is written in Psalm 18:30-36, and Habakkuk 3:17-19.

Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NLT):

17 Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields,
and the cattle barns are empty,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength!
He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
able to tread upon the heights.

Habakkuk recognized that God would keep his promises, despite the odds that seemed to be stacked up against it. He realized that his peace, security, and hope were not based on the temporary blessings, such as figs trees having blossoms, and thriving olive crops or even things going the way he wanted them to. Habakkuk's peace, security, and hope were based on God alone! So when things didn't go the way Habakkuk would have like them to, initially he seemed to forget who God was, but once he was reminded of just who God was, he didn't take his focus off of Him. He trusted in Him and relied on Him to follow through with His promises. How cool is that?

Habakkuk 2:4 (NLT) says:

“Look at the proud!
They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked.
But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God."

Just like Abraham was declared righteous because of his faith in God and His promises (Genesis 15:6) Habakkuk was doing the same thing. As the sure footed deer was able to tread upon the rocky terrain of the mountains without slipping, Habakkuk's faith in God enabled him to endure the hardships that came his way! Again, how cool is that! God enables us to endure hardships as well. If we look to Him and his Word for direction, and encouragement, and If we trust Him to handle all of the craziness that life brings our way (and it will come), we will be like the surefooted deer, able to climb through the rocky terrain of life, without slipping.