Deuteronomy 31:7-8, 10-11, 13
7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. 8 And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” 10 And Moses commanded them, saying: “At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of release, at the Feast of Tabernacles, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.
13 and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess.”
This passage is powerful for a couple of reasons. Not only did Moses encourage Joshua not to be afraid or discouraged because God would be with him, guide him, and stay with him, but he also made it a law that God’s people would relearn God’s laws throughout their lives so that they would remember or learn to fear the Lord. Without fear of God (or awe of His Holiness), you will always fail in strength and courage, then you will be tossed around by anything that life will try to throw at you.
Ephesians 4:11-15
11 And He Himself (God) gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ.
This is why Moses made it a law for the people to hear God’s laws often so they wouldn’t forget what God had done for them and fall into discouragement or sin. This is why Paul emphasized that God has appointed leaders in our path to equip us for life so that we don’t have those roller-coaster seasons; to be able to handle the mountaintop-valley low periods.
I would encourage us to look to our Leader, Jesus, who understands us because He walked in the very shoes that we walk in. Just Like Moses said thousands of years ago to his nervous protégé, God is always with us and for us. There’s plenty of scripture that describes to us how He understands our plights and has dealt with the same tricks, but He faced all of the devil’s temptations and won!
It’s almost impossible to feel depressively discouraged when we are close to God’s love! We feel valued, our giftedness is recognized, and we have purpose and direction! But it’s altogether different when we feel like we are disadvantaged when our money is low, we face one closed door after another, and we can’t seem to shake the anxiety that seems to follow us around! But who do we allow to walk with us: fear or courage?
Yes, it is easy to have a good attitude when we’re winning, but what about when we lose? How do we resurrect the courage, stamina, work ethic, and hopefulness to try again and to get back up when everything says, “Stay down loser”? That’s the thing though: we don’t. It’s not our job to resurrect what’s dead in our lives, that’s God’s job, BUT we have to allow Him to!
Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed (discouraged), for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Discouragement comes in many facets and lurks at every turn, waiting to jump on the joy in God’s children because it’s one of the only weapons left in our defeated enemy’s arsenal! So, what do we do when we put it all on the line and give everything we have, but it still feels like we’ve fallen short? How do we receive God’s help and encouragement that’s needed to have the peace, joy, success, and satisfaction we all long to have in this life?
Philippians 4:4-7
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
First, we need to repent of any sins we may have allowed into our hearts because of our fears, anxieties, or discouragements. Secondly, we need to ask God to forgive us for those negative and discouraging attitudes, thoughts, and emotional responses that have led us to self-pity, fear, or anxiety. Thirdly, we need to recognize the authority of Jesus Christ over all of our human feelings and mindsets. Lastly, we must allow Him to replace those human flaws with His perfect peace, joy, and encouragement!
