Say No to Discouragement

Say No to Discouragement

Psalm 42:5 NKJV

5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.

Psalm 42:1–10 NKJV

1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, “Where is your God?” 4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance. 6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me; Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, And from the heights of Hermon, From the Hill Mizar. 7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me. 8 The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me— A prayer to the God of my life. 9 I will say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” 10 As with a breaking of my bones, My enemies reproach me, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

Why are you cast down? - Have you ever felt discouraged?

The Psalmist here was facing discouragement, despair, perhaps hopelessness

No unlike so many people these days

Springfield is often mentioned as a place where people are depressed

The fact is, we all suffer discouragement at times

What do you do with your troubles?

Some people become angry.

Some people become negative and cynical

So many people begin to lash out in their frustration

Instead of asking “why are you cast down O my Soul” they say My soul is cast down, and why doesn’t anyone care?

Its easy to feel like no one cares whey we are suffering

the truth is there are probably many people who care, but no one can solve all of your issues

Many people give up in their trials - without ever knowing how close to the breakthrough they were

Many others keep going, but with a toxic attitude that only makes things worse

Unfortunately most of these responses to discouragement can only make the troubles last longer, or perhaps become permanent

But, you do have a choice!

Return to the Lord

I. Return to the Lord

“Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts” ).

Malachi 3:7 NKJV

7 Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the Lord of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’

When discouraged, many Christians drift away from the Lord, neglecting prayer, God’s Word, and church attendance.

Instead of focusing on our problems, we should run back to Jesus -

We tend to give our troubles preeminence in our minds, but in all thing HE must have preeminence

God’s Word admonishes, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you” ().

James 4:8 NKJV

8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

james

It can be easy to drift from the LORD when we are discouraged

But He says to draw near

How can you draw nearer to HIM?

How many people think that drawing near to God is telling Him what they want instead of asking Him what He wants

Say no to discouragement. Return unto the Lord. Revive your prayer life and Bible meditation. Restore your church attendance and support.

Radiate for the Lord

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works” ().

Radiate means “to give forth or spread happiness, love”—Webster.

When discouragement strikes, some Christians spread gloom and doom. They see only the bad in others, the church, and in circumstances.

Say no to discouragement. Replace negatives with positives. Look for the good, not the bad.

That may mean choosing to see the good instead of the bad

And just because there is some bad does not mean I have to acknowledge it or repeat it

Rely on the Lord

“Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass” ().

Trusting Him, relieves discouragement

Some Christians rely on temporal possessions more than on God. Others rely too much on people. They come to disappointment.

You really can trust Him

David said “I would have given up if I had not believed I would see the goodness of the Lord, while I’m still living

Wait on the Lord!

“It is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works,” said the psalmist ().

Say no to discouragement. Rely on the Lord. Depend on him. He never disappoints or fails.

Rejoice in the Lord

“Rejoice in the LORD alway: and again I say, Rejoice” ().

“always” There is always a reason to rejoice if you are a Christian. So what’s your excuse if you are not rejoicing today?

David Ring: What’s your problem?

Many Christians fall into discouragement because they fail to offer enough praise to God. They are too involved with selfish pursuits.

It is difficult, if not impossible, to rejoice in the Lord and be discouraged at the same time.

The psalmist said, “I will bless the LORD at all times” (). Say no to discouragement. Rejoice in the Lord today.