Dear Readers in Christ, "Draw near to GOD, and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8).

Monday 8 April 2013

Apr 08 - ARE YOU DISCOURAGED?


Discouragement is faint-hardheartedness, a state in which we lose all hope. We lose confidence in God – “God hasn’t answered my prayer. I’ve been praying for so long. It’s no use! May be He doesn’t love me.” We lose confidence in ourselves too – “I’m a failure. Everything I try to do is a failure. I have no success in my job. In my future also everything is going to go wrong.” You also lose confidence in others – “I don’t think anybody can help me. Nobody understands me.” Discouragement makes you hit rock bottom. Spiritually and sometimes physically also, you become weak. You become a burden to others and the devil makes you feel even more discouraged.

Child of God, today the Word of God is coming to you. The Lord has not planned failure for you but a grand success. “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jer 29:11 – NIV).

Discouragement is one of the worst weapons of the devil. Way back in the Garden of Eden, it was the same tactic he used. “God isn’t good. If he really loves you and cares for you, why won’t he allow you to eat that fruit?” he was trying to say to the woman. This is the door to discouragement.

In the Bible we read of a man named Ahithophel who got discouraged and hanged himself and died. Even Elijah, the man who was on fire for God, ran away from the presence of God when he got discouraged and said “Enough Lord, take me!” It was the same with Jonah. May be you too have prayed that prayer. Beloved one, that is the most dangerous prayer to pray. The Word of God says in Proverbs 8:36, “All they that hate me love death.” When you love death, you are hating the Lord Jesus. You may say, “I love Jesus.” But when you love death, when you pray, “Lord, take me”, unconsciously or maybe ignorantly, you are hating Jesus.

Child of God, trials are sent, not to destroy you, but to bring you spiritual promotion. So take them in the right spirit. Saints are formed only in trials. So don’t let your troubles trouble you. Don’t give room to self-pity; don’t give room to discouragement. If you do you’ll become a liability to God and to others.

 – Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

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