Faith in Discouragement

‌ Can you think of a time in your life when you were so discouraged that you wanted to give up? Did you give up or did you push through? If we are honest there are more times than not that when faced with discouragement we probably gave up. The truth is that we all have faced discouragement in our life. The dictionary states, “to deprive of courage, to deter, to dishearten, to hinder.” We could probably add words like doom, depression, defeat and despair. These are the thoughts and feeling we have when we are in trial, and life has us pinned down. Often, we us words like “loose heart” or “to faint” to express a sense of being overwhelmed. However, the hope that we find in Scripture is that the cure for discouragement is to not to lose faith in the One who encourages us. Discouragement can affect us individually, in families, groups or even as a Nation. That is what we are going to see in our Scripture Text today in Nehemiah.

In Scripture, in the Old Testament we learn of the last remaining group of Israel, the Tribe of Judah, who were conquered by the Babylonians and taken into exile. They were expelled from their homeland and lost their culture. They remained in captivity for 70 years until Babylon was captured by the Persians. It was in the Persians that Israel found mercy and grace. By the Will of God, the tribe of Judah were allowed to return to their homeland to rebuild. However, what they came back to was more awful than they could have imagined. What they learned that as they trusted God during the most discouraging and difficult times, they were blessed more than they could have imagined. This principle is just as true today as it was back in their day.

READ NEHEMIAH 4:8-14

THE RIGHT MAN AT THE RIGHT TIME

Nehemiah was the right man, in the right place, at the right time. He was a gifted organizer amid chaos and destruction. The walls of Jerusalem lay in ruins and this lent to a constant barrage of raiders looting them at night causing fear and discouragement. Every single day Israel was reminded of how weak and vulnerable they were. There was no hope that things were going to get any better. They were at the mercy of what nation or band of raiders would do to them. They were surrounded. To the north they had Sanballat and the Samaritans to the north, Tobiah and the Ammonites to the East, Geshem and the Arabs to the South and the Ashdodites to the west. They were discouraged. In verse 8 it says this dark alliance that surrounded them welded their greatest weapon often, fear and discouragement. This is the situation that Nehemiah found himself in. However, God used Nehemiah to encourage the exiles, to bring them hope, courage, and order. Uniting them in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and rebuilding their society and culture.

At first the wall began to take shape. People were beginning to feel hope again. They were able to see hope in the future for themselves and for their children when discouragement comes once again. About halfway through the project there were new rumors of marauders and chaos. He did not want the people to lose heart so took an inventory of what was causing this discouragement and how to respond.

RECOGNIZE DISCOURAGEMENT

Recognizing what causes us to be discouragement is the first step to keeping it away from us as to keep our faith. The first cause of discouragement is fatigue. It has been said that “fatigue makes cowards of us all”. The workers that Nehemiah assembled began strong but faded fast. In verse 10 the Bible says, “The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing…” The builders of the wall had been at it for 30 days and they were getting tired. Day by day the saw the same thing. One brick on top of another. Breaking their backs and not seeing much progress. This fatigue was catching up to them and when energy runs low so does courage. It is important for us to assess what we are doing to not overextend ourselves and give ourselves proper rest.

The second cause to discouragement is frustration. In verse 10 we read, “There is too much rubble.” These builders were frustrated. Every day they saw only destruction and it seemed that no matter how hard they worked they saw very little progress, even though great progress was being made. One thing that is important too do when working on a goal is to find joy in the small victories. You are not where you want to be, but you are further that you were yesterday. Celebrating small victories help us from becoming frustrated.

The third cause of discouragement is failure. In verse 10 it says, “By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall.” The Israelites gave up. They threw their hands up and said, “we are tired”, we are not making any progress, we quit.” The truth is they had not failed they had made great progress. The wall was half built. However, it just was the something day after day. The truth is the only way to fail is to not try or to quit when things get hard. When we feel like a failure it is easy to listen to the enemy and agree, “I am a failure, and I can’t do anything.” The truth is that God gives us the ability to accomplish great things and with Him we will never be failures.

The final cause to discouragement is fear. In verses 11-12, “And our enemies said, “They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.” The Israelites were afraid of their enemies attacking them. The wall was not being built fast enough, which caused them to fear what was going to happen to them. Fear comes in times of trouble to discourage us and it is important to never take our eyes off of the one who gives us everything that we need right when we need it. This is why God commands us not to fear because He is with us.

RESPONDING TO DISCOURAGEMENT

How do we respond to discouragement? First, we cry out to God. In verse 9 it says, “And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.” Their enemies threatened to kill them if they did not stop building the wall so Nehemiah prayed for protection. Often what happens ion discouragement is we begin to try and find solutions on our own which causes more frustration and eventually failure. Instead of waiting till you have failed call upon God first. Trust Him to give you everything you need to sustain your trial.

Another response is to complete the work that God has already set before you. Nehemiah allowed God to sustain him through this trial and he never stopped working. He was going to complete the wall even if he did it by himself. This inspired the men of Israel to continue to work despite their frustration and discouragement. Even if everyone around you is willing to give up pray even more that God will sustain you to finish.

The third response is to never stop seeing the big picture. In this life we have tribulation, pain and sorrow but the reality is that all the sin and destruction is just temporary. The truth is one day this life will be over and we will be with our heavenly father for eternity. Remember that truth and allow the future hope of heaven to sustain you through dark times.

The fourth response is to claim the promises of God. Nehemiah 4:14, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.” God has promised you that he will never leave you or forsake you, he will provide for you and protect you.

The final way we respond to discouragement t is to bear one another’s burdens. The wall was completed because it was not done by one individual. Everyone had a job, and everyone helped each other to complete their goal. Eventually the wall was completed in record time. To respond to discouragement remember you are not alone. God has put people in your life to encourage you, to pray for you and to help you carry your burdens as you carry theirs.

I want to encourage you today. If you are feeling discouraged remember you are not alone. We are here for one another. To remind each other of the hope of heaven and that God will always provide for us and sustain us as we continue to do the work that he has set before each one of us. Trust in the Lord and He will Sustain You.