Fresh Mannaby Pastor Tim BurtDo you ever get discouraged? Who doesn't? Does discouragement ever result in anything good? Does it ever please God?Discouragement happens—sometimes daily. For example, I tried to use an app on my phone that I frequently rely on, but today it wasn’t working properly. That was a problem because I needed it and couldn’t use it. It was discouraging! It wasn’t the end of the world or a crisis in the making, but it wasted about 30 minutes of my time, and I didn’t have time to waste this morning. I’m sure they’ll have it fixed by tomorrow, and life will move on. Some things that cause discouragement are temporary and momentary. Other types of discouragement linger, and that’s when it becomes a real problem. Either way, discouragement has the potential to erode a good attitude and put us into a less than joyful state of mind.Discouragement can be a powerful negative force that works against us. It's most common effect is to try to launch us into some level of hopelessness—a place you don’t want to go to. Discouragement is a warning sign, much like a sniffly nose or cough when a cold tries to come upon you. It’s a symptom that you need to resist and act upon. When discouragement comes, it’s time to encourage your heart in the Lord. If you don’t, it can grow into hopelessness—Satan’s greatest tool to get you to give up your faith and hope in God’s love and involvement in your life. That my sound extreme, but when you have faced longer term discouragement, then you know what I mean. It's horrible. It's displeasing to God and acts as a wrecking ball in your life. Hebrews 10:38 (NIV) warns, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.”In the book of Jeremiah, we see that the Lord is not pleased with His people because they stopped trusting Him. That kind of drift doesn’t happen overnight. It often starts with disappointments—unmet desires or expectations. Over time, these disappointments caused God’s people to drift away from Him. They began to make idols—something else they could put their hope in. Over time, some stopped paying attention to His ways and turned to other gods, frustrated that He wasn’t moving fast enough or answering prayers the way they wanted. Others stopped thinking about God altogether, leaning on their own wisdom instead. Relying on yourself alone for answers and solutions is a wrecking ball that will ultimately cause your life to crumble.In Jeremiah 18:12 (TLB), God reminds them what He has heard them utter under their breath!“Don’t waste your breath. This is hopeless. We have no intention whatever of doing what God says. We will continue to live as we want to, free from any restraint, full of stubbornness and wickedness!” These words reflect a heart far from God, one that has given up on trusting Him.All of us face tough situations at one time or another. Some of us have been in difficult circumstances for a long time. It’s easy to get discouraged during such times. But hopelessness must be resisted. We must have faith that God loves us deeply, desires to help us, and will make a way. No one who has faith in God’s Word and genuinely seeks Him will remain hopeless. God reveals Himself to those who live by faith and earnestly seek Him. Faith opens the eyes of our hearts to see God in ways that others cannot. God does not dwell in the shadows or remain hidden—He reveals Himself through His Word, through pastors, through prayer, through answers to prayer, and through fellow seekers of God.The initial reaction to a point of discouragement should be to pause, bow our head and pray "Dear Lord, this isn't working and I feel helpless. I know you are merciful and give us exceeding grace. Please lead, guide, and help me through this situation and show me what to do. Help me Lord, I trust in you! In Jesus name I pray."Draw near to God today. Cry out to Him from your heart—not in hopelessness or desperation, but from a spirit of faith, knowing He loves you, cares for you, and desires to lead you. Ask Him to guide you through His Word and speak to your heart. As James 4:8 (NKJV) promises, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” He is our blessed hope in all things! As Psalm 9:10 (NKJV) declares, “Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.”Discouragement can lead to hopelessness, which acts like a wrecking ball in your life. Instead of letting it wreck you, why not wreck the devil by having great faith in God? Faith pleases God! Faith opens your eyes to see God moving in your life and keeps your heart encouraged even in the darkest times. Seek Him through His Word and prayer, and have expectations—not that He’ll resolve every issue in one sweeping miracle, but that He will lead and guide you to a better place, showing you answers and miracles that reveal the depth of His love for you. And when you see His hand of help, Thank Him! That is so important. Walking this out rightly and seeing God move in our lives reminds us of just how present His love is in our daily lives!Psalm 46:1 (NIV) reminds us, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
In His love,Pastor Tim Burt
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