There once was a boy playing baseball by himself in the backyard.
• Who said "I’m the greatest batter in the world!"
• Then He tossed the ball in the air and would swing the bat.
• The Problem is He swung and he missed.
• Not one to give up he throws the ball up again and says, "I’m the greatest batter in the world!"
• And again He misses.
• He looks at his ball and then his bat.
• Then Once more he tosses the ball up in the air.
• He says "I’m the greatest batter in the world!"
• He swings and he misses. Strike Three.
• Finally He says "Wow! And I’m an even better pitcher!"
Now you have to like this boy’s positive attitude.
• I like it that he’s not easily discouraged.
• The truth is that we all should be this way
• We should say “I’m a Christian!
• I’m on a winning team!!
• I’m going to live with Jesus forever!
• Notice I said should
• Because there’s this one little thing. This disease.
• It’s called discouragement.
• It hits like a big sudden gust of wind.
• For some people, it’s no big deal.
• Your favorite football team lose 23-20 in overtime.
• You’re bummed out for about ten minutes.
• Then you get up off the couch and eat a hot dog and you’re fine. No big deal.
But for some people,
• Discouragement can hit like a tornado and totally wipe you out.
• They get these crazy thoughts running through their head:
• “I’m not good enough to get that job.
• I’m not good enough to get A’s and B’s on my tests.
• I’m not good enough to do any kind of work at the Church.”
The truth is that we all have our moments like these.
• But the good news is that help is on the way!
• Today, we’re going to talk about the causes of discouragement.
• Then we’re going to look at Psalm 142 and talk
• about getting through the season of discouragement.
One of the things that causes discouragement
• Is the realization that we’re not as young as we used to be.
• I was reading about an older lady who joined a fitness club.
• She said “I decided to take an aerobics class.
• I bent. I twisted. I gyrated. I jumped up and down for an hour.
• But by the time I got my leotards on, the class was over.”
Some day, it will be over for all of us.
That’s why I like Psalm 73:26. It says “
Ps 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my
Portion forever.
Our bodies may not be able to do what they used to do.
• But God can do what He’s ALWAYS been able to do!
• He’s the One who gives us the strength to go boldly through this life.
• And He’s the One who gets us ready to be promoted in to the next life.
• Another thing that causes discouragement is the winter weather.
• How many of you are tired of winter?
• How many of you pray to God that the Ground Hog doesn’t see his shadow on Ground Hog day?
• How many of you hope that someone steals the Ground Hog BEFORE he has a chance to see his shadow?
We’ve known for a long time that during the long dark days of winter, people get depressed.
• So a handful of experts at the National Institute of Mental Heath
• came up with an idea:
• If people get depressed when the days get darker,
• why not just give them more light?
• They tested this theory on a guy who fell into a deep depression every winter.
• They asked him to sit in front of a large box fitted with fluorescent tubes
• for three hours before dawn and three hours after sunset every day.
• And It worked.
• Three days later, he was smiling again.
• And today, when people get Seasonal Affective Disorder,(SAD)
• one of the most effective treatments is light therapy.
• Getting people to spend more time in the light.
Let me make a spiritual application:
• How do we overcome the darkness of discouragement?
• We Spend more time in the LIGHT!
• We need to Spend more time talking with Jesus.
• Spend more time listening to Christian radio.
• Spend more time reading the Bible.
• Spend more time hanging out with other people who love Jesus.
In John 8:12, Jesus says “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Another thing that causes discouragement is failure.
• Pastors say “I tried so hard to make this a good sermon. But it was boring.
• I failed. I’m so discouraged that I don’t even feel like going to out to eat.
• I just want to mope around the house.’
• Or someone says “We practiced all week getting ready.
• I thought we had a chance.
• But they whipped us right on our home court.
• I am so discouraged. I can’t wait for the season to end.”
• We’ve all have moments like these.
That’s why I like Psalm 34:18. It says that “
Ps 34:18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in
spirit.
And that’s why I like Isaiah 57:15, where God says
Isa 57:15 For this is what the high and lofty One says he who lives forever, whose name is
holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.
When you’re feeling down in the dumps,
• God gets right down there in the dumps with you.
• He says “I love you. You’re my child. You’re special to me,
• Whether your team is in 1st place or 8th place.
• You don’t have to BE the best to be loved by Me.
• All I’m asking is that you DO your best.”
Another thing that causes discouragement is disappointment in marriage.
• You say “20 years ago, I married Mr. Right.
• But nobody told me his first name was “Always.”
• It seems like we fight all the time!
• We’ve been to counseling.
• We’ve been to the pastor. Nothing works. I’m discouraged!”
• That’s why I like Psalm 34:18. It says that “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and He saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
• Right now, things are tough for the two of you.
• But I want you to know that I’m here!
• Even now, I’m working behind the scenes in the life of your husband.
• Even now, I’m working behind the scenes in your marriage.
• Don’t give up. Look up.”
We’ve looked at four things which can cause discouragement.
Now we are going to look at our scripture for the day
Psalm 142 which says
Ps 142:1 I cry aloud to the LORD? I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy. Ps 142:2 I pour
out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble. Ps 142:3 When my spirit grows
faint within me, it is you who know my way. In the path where I walk men have hidden a
snare for me. Ps 142:4 Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge; no one cares for my life.
Ps 142:5 I cry to you, O LORD? I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the
living.” Ps 142:6 Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who
pursue me, for they are too strong for me. Ps 142:7 Set me free from my prison,
that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.
Talk about coping with discouragement.
• David wrote this Psalm when he was down in the dumps.
• King Saul was trying to kill him.
• And David, who was once the commander of the army,
• is now a fugitive hiding in a cave.
• According to 1 Samuel 22:2, he’s got 400 men with him who are just as down in the dumps as he is.
• But David shows us how to handle discouragement.
• The first thing we need to do is to verbalize our concerns to God.
• Verse 1 says “I cry aloud to the Lord. I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.”
• David’s thinking “Yes, I have 400 other people I can talk to.
• But I want to talk to the One who’s got the answers.
• I want to talk to the One who’s got the power.
• I want to talk to the One who’s got the mercy!
• I want to talk to the One who can get things done!”
• Sometimes when we get discouraged, we call someone on the phone.
• We tell them “I’m down in the dumps. I need someone to talk to.”
• And that’s good.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says “Encourage one another and build each other up.”
• But if you want to be completely delivered from the clutches of discouragement,
• you need to cry aloud to God!
• Your friends can give you the encouragement that you need.
• But God can give you the VICTORY that you need!
• Talk to your friends, but make sure you verbalize your concerns to God.
The next thing we have to do is to specify your concerns to God.
• In verse two, David talks about his troubles.
• Then in verses three and four, he cuts to the chase.
• He says my spirit grows faint within me, No one is concerned about me.
• No one cares for my life.” He lays it on the line. He says, “God, I’m worn out! And no one cares!”
• When we’re feeling this way,
• We need to tell God how we feel. We need to get specific.
• Now when I read this, I feel like saying “David, how can you say that no one cares about you?
• There’s 400 people in that cave who care about you!
• And as far as I can tell, GOD cares!”
But when you’re discouraged, it FEELS like no one cares.
• I have days like that.
• But in 1 Peter 5:7 it says “Cast your cares upon Him because He cares for you.”
• You have to verbalize your concerns.
• You have to specify your concerns.
And Finally: You have to be persistent with your concerns.
• Notice the persistence of David in verses five through seven.
• Verse five says “I cry to you, O Lord.”
• Verse six says “Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need!”
• Verse seven says “Set me free from my prison!
We’re supposed to be God’s prayer warriors.
• But sometimes, I think we’re God’s prayer wimps.
• We pray one time for something.
• God doesn’t answer right away.
• And We say “I give up. I tried so hard. But God didn’t listen.:
And God is like “No!
• The point of prayer isn’t just to get what you want when you want it.
• The point of prayer is to get closer to the Lord!
• That’s why Luke 18:1 says that Jesus taught his disciples that they should pray and not give up.
• And notice how verse seven concludes.
• David says “Set me from my prison so that I may praise your name.”
• In other words, we pray for deliverance from discouragement
• Not just so that we’ll feel happy.
• We pray for deliverance so that we can get back to the business of praising God!
The worst thing about discouragement
• Is that it keeps us from the one thing that matters most!
• Instead of using our time to celebrate the goodness of God,
• we’re using our time to say “Woe is me!”
• You remember the old TV show “Hee Haw?”
• They used to sing this song: “Gloom, despair, and agony on me. Deep dark depression, excessive misery. If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all. Gloom, despair, and agony on me.”
• That’s what happens when we get bummed out.
• We start focusing on our own gloom and despair.
• Now I’m not saying that there isn’t such a thing as clinical depression.
• Thank God for good medicine. And Thank God for doctors.
• But here’s the thing:
• When you worship the Lord, and learn about the Lord
• And hang out with people who love the Lord,
• you’re not going to have room in your life for discouragement.
• You’re not going to have room in your life for deep dark depression.
What I am trying to say today is “Don’t give up. Look up!
• We’re on a winning team.
• We’re surrounded by people who love us.
• And We’re surrounded by a God who loves us.
Psalm 43:5 says
Ps 43:5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
• “Jesus loves you, this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Let’s pray.
