How King David Overcame Discouragement

Now listen, I do not wish to be unkind, but I truly believe this man is being less than truthful to the thousands of people he was addressing.

WHY DON’T I BELIEVE HIM?

Some of the greatest men who ever walked on this earth have become discouraged from time to time. For example, the Bible reveals such men as:

(1) JOHN THE BAPTIST got discouraged.

In fact, John got so discouraged that the Lord had to send a disciple to prison to encourage him.

We must not forget that the Lord said of John the Baptist, that there was none greater born among women. Now if John the Baptist is one of the greatest men who ever lived, and he got discouraged, then it should not surprise us that normal people likes us get discouraged from time to time.

This preacher who said he never got discouraged is in essence saying that he is greater than John The Baptist, because he never gets discouraged. I DO NOT THINK SO!

(2) ELIJAH THE PROPHET got very discouraged.

Many believe from the symptoms that Elijah displayed after he faced the prophets of Baal, that he came close to having a nervous break down.

(3) And most of us would rank King David as one of the greatest men who walked on this earth. The Bible says he was a man after God’s own heart, but yet he got very discouraged.

For example, look at David in our text. He had just returned to the place where his home had been, after a tiring trip, only to discover:

• The whole city had been burned

• All the wives and children had been captured by the Amalekites

David and his men were exhausted. But notice, the devil always makes his most vicious attacks on us when we are at our weakest.

This was a very discouraging moment for king David, because he had double trouble.

• Not only was he worn out from the trip and the fighting.

• Not only had the enemy kidnapped those dearest to him.

• His life was being threatened by his own men for something he did not do.

Look at verse 6. "And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters. . . "

They were blaming him for the loss of their families. It seems as if they did not think he felt any loss, but that was where they were wrong. David loved his family as much as they loved their families.

Illus: David was not like the man whose wife ran away with his best friend. This man was grieving and was visibly shaken, so a friend asked, "What is wrong with you?" He explained that his wife had just run off with his best friend, and then he exclaimed, AND I AM REALLY GOING TO MISS HIM!

David loved his wife, and when he returned home his heart was broken like all the rest of them.

But he was being blamed for the whole situation that the Amlekites had caused. This is a very discouraging moment in his life. He was suffering:

• From the accusation of his men

• Because his life was being threatened

• The loss of his family

I doubt if very many of us have ever suffered the way he was suffering. But David was a great man of God.

WHY DO WE SAY HE WAS A GREAT MAN OF GOD?

In his life you see a man who trusted God during the GOOD TIMES and the BAD TIMES.

Anyone can SMILE, LAUGH, and PRAISE THE LORD when things are going great, but only a great man of God can do such a thing when he is facing the storms of life.

David knew what to do when the storms of life came. Look at verse 6b. We read, "...But David encouraged himself in the lord his God.”

Listen, it is nice when we are discouraged to have a friend or loved one put their arm around our shoulder and encourage us. But there are times when we face the storms of life, and there is no one to encourage us, and we have to do what David did, HE ENCOURAGED HIMSELF IN THE LORD.

HOW DID HE DO THIS?

Let’s consider TWO things. When it comes to overcoming discouragement in our life -

I. WE SHOULD SHUN IT

SOMEONE MIGHT BE SAYING, “PREACHER, WHAT DO YOU MEAN, WE SHOULD SHUN IT?”

What I mean is this. Some people PURSUE DISCOURAGEMENT LIKE A RABBIT DOG CHASING A RABBIT, but we should SHUN IT.

• Have you noticed some people seem to never be discouraged?

• On the other hand, some people seem to be always discouraged.