Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God. ~Psalm 42:5 (AMPCE)
Discouragement destroys our hope, so naturally the enemy tries hard to discourage us. He knows without hope we will give up, which is exactly what the enemy wants us to do. He wants us to give up on those we love who just can’t seem to get it right. He wants us to give up on that dream that seems unattainable. He wants us to give up on believing that God will enable us to go farther and higher than we could ever do by ourselves. Why does the enemy push us so hard to give up on these things every day? Because he knows Gods promises to us sometimes better than we know them ourselves. God tells us in Galatians 6:9 “we will reap in due season, if we don’t give up.” (WEB) How many blessings do we walk away from when we give up on our hopes and dreams? When we “throw in the towel”, we throw away our faith, that’s the very same faith the bible describes as more precious than gold. And do you know why faith is more precious than gold? Because having faith in God is having faith in something way bigger than yourself, your abilities or anything you could ever come up with! Dreaming big and attaining big are two very different things. To reap a harvest from the promises God has placed in our hearts we have to stand strong and persevere.
Scripture tells us we should not allow ourselves to become discouraged or dismayed. God knows that we will not be strong or victorious if we lose our courage. He wants us to be encouraged, and so encouraged that it overflows and encourages others around us. To do that we have to start talking to ourselves a little bit more. Just like David did in Psalm 42:5. He says “Why are you so cast down, O my soul? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him…” (AMPCE) Have you ever talked to your soul that way? Maybe you should. When you wake up with a dark, gloomy cloud hanging over your head and you can’t seem to stop thinking… “what am I going to do?” or “how can I change this person or situation” which is shortly followed by the thought that you have tried everything you know to do, and nothing seems to be working…discouragement is sure to follow. Don’t let the enemy convince you to throw in the towel. Cheer yourself up in the Lord just like David did. Don’t just say your hope is in God, wait expectantly for Him. Are you waiting for God to turn something or someone around? Do you have any impossible situations that only God can change? If not, what are you hoping for? God tells us in Romans 8:24 “Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?” (ESV) Hope is an anchor for our soul. It’s what keeps us looking ahead with great expectations. God doesn’t want us discouraged and without hope. He wants us expecting Him to act! He wants us to be praising Him all day just knowing that at any given moment He is going to bring about that which only He can do. He wants us to climb back up from the end of our rope and wait confidently for Him to move on our behalf. He says be strong and courageous because He is with you, and He will never leave or forsake you!
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. ~Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV)
What are you expecting from God today?
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