Discouragement

Discouragement

Discouragement, we all have times of it. It comes at some of the weirdest time and we have to all fight it. Some seem to get it more than others, yet it doesn’t make us more or less spiritual.

It’s a battle and we see that people in the Bible fought it and the word of God shows us how to conquer it.

Let’s look at Great Men in the Word and see what happen to them.

Moses:

NUMBERS 11:4 Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat?5 “We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic;6 “but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!”7 Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its color like the color of bdellium.8 The people went about and gathered it, ground it on millstones or beat it in the mortar, cooked it in pans, and made cakes of it; and its taste was like the taste of pastry prepared with oil.9 And when the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it.

10 Then Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and the anger of the LORD was greatly aroused; Moses also was displeased.11 So Moses said to the LORD, “Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all these people on me?12 “Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,’ to the land which You swore to their fathers?13 “Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me, saying, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’14 “I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me.15 “If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now—if I have found favor in Your sight—and do not let me see my wretchedness!”

Ever feel this way, you feel like you gave all you got and still everything goes wrong. Take heart. Moses end was great and so will your be.

Joshua:

Here we see Joshua, they had just won a big victory at Jericho, and now they come to little Ai and they are defeated and Joshua gets discouraged. God showed him that there was sin in the camp and ones they cleaned it up, it was done.

Joshua 7:1-12 (NKJV) 1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the LORD burned against the children of Israel. 2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, "Go up and spy out the country." So the men went up and spied out Ai. 3 And they returned to Joshua and said to him, "Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few." 4 So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai. 5 And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water. 6 Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. 7 And Joshua said, "Alas, Lord GOD, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all--to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan! 8 O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its back before its enemies? 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?" 10 So the LORD said to Joshua: "Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? 11 Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. 12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you.