Seven Nations Greater Than You (Part 7)
Overcoming the Obstacles to Your Destiny
The Jebusites - The Spirit of Discouragement
Josh. 3:10; I Sam. 30:1-8
Jebusite - Heb. - “Trodden down.” They represent the spirit of
discouragement.
Over 17 million people are clinically depressed and it costs America over
$40 billion annually (due to treatment and lack of production in the work
force, not to mention earnings losses from depression induced suicides).
Many of God’s children are either already in, or trying to go into, hibernation
in the den of discouragement. They are licking their wounds of
disappointment, disillusionment, and despair in the silence of withdrawal.
Heartbreak has resulted in a massive leak of one of life’s key ingredients –
encouragement. They feel like David who cried, “Look to my right hand and
see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; now one cares for my
life” (Ps.142:4).
To be discouraged means to lose heart, to lose courage, to lose strength.
All of us periodically experience the dark night of the soul. And
unfortunately for the flesh, the more anointing you walk in, the more
opportunity for potential discouragement you will have.
Paul said, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man
is perishing our inward man is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16).
The phrase “lose heart” means to ‘unstring a bow for lack of seeing game.’
Many times on the path of life we get discouraged and lose heart because
we aren’t seeing any fruit. But the test of God is simple: Will you remain
faithful to him even when he seems unfaithful to you?
***Joseph received a vision from God that one day he would rule. But he
was thrown in a pit, and from there became a slave in the house of Potiphar,
and then was placed in prison. Did he become discouraged? He could
have...and justified it easily. But he stayed faithful to God even when God
didn’t seem faithful to him. And in due time, because he didn’t lose heart,
God took him from the prison to the palace where he ruled and reigned and
fulfilled God’s promises.
Paul said, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for
us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”
Many Christians are like the blind man in Mark 8. When Jesus touched him
and asked if he could see the man said he saw men as trees walking. Was
he now blind or could he see? Neither/both. He had received a touch from
the Lord, but there was no edge to his vision. There was no focus. He was
a seeing blind man...a contradiction in terms. Many of us are joyless
Christians...a contradiction in terms.
We aren’t living up to our name. *** There was a sign that hung on the door
to the store which read, “Danger, Beware of Dog.” A man came in and
noticed a harmless, half-dead, old hound dog asleep on the floor by the
cash register. He asked the store manager, “Is that the dog folks are
supposed to beware of?” The manager said, “Yep, that’s him.” The man
said, “That certainly doesn’t look like a dangerous dog to me. Why in the
world would you post that sign?” “Because the owner replied, “before I
posted the sign, people kept tripping and falling over him.” He didn’t quite
live up to his name.
Do we have any idea who we are? Christians - the name means anointed
ones; empowered ones. Our lives are the signs we hang out...do the signs
match the names. We put signs in front of our churches but can we truly
deliver the goods. We cannot afford to walk around in a constant state of
discouragement and depression.
David had been in stress and distress for many years because of the
anointing that was upon his life. Many times his life had been in imminent
danger, but he always had friends who were willing to walk and war beside
him. But this time everyone turned against him so that he stood alone.
The Amalekites had attacked Ziklag and carried away captives which
included the wives and concubines of David and his men. This precipitated
a general discontent so that even David’s closest friends spoke of stoning
him.
The enemy had taken their wives and their children. These represent their
comfort, stability, and future. We get discouraged when something messes
up our place of comfort and threatens the stability of our future.
Specifically David lost Ahinoam and Abigail:
- Ahinoam means agreeable, favorable. She represents the favor of God.
- Abigail means source of joy. She represents the joy of the Lord.
David’s favor was stolen, and with it was his source of joy. This led to
discouragement. David was in covenant relationship with favor and joy.
They lived in the same house together. They bore fruit together. Now they
were gone.
Many of us don’t realize that the enemy wants to rob us of our favor with
God. When the favor is gone, the joy goes with it. And the joy of the Lord is
our strength...thus we are left without defense.
David’s only hope was to encourage himself in the Lord.
How do you encourage yourself in the Lord?
1. You remember yesterday’s promises - I Sam. 23:16-17
Jonathan encouraged David in the promise of God. We are responsible to
encourage one another continually. “...not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another,
and so much more as you see the Day approaching” (Heb. 10:25).
We must enter into covenant relationship with one another so that we can
speak into one another’s lives. It is our responsibility to know the promises
of God concerning one another’s lives so that we can continually encourage
one another. We can’t do this if we are ignoring one another. One woman
said her husband paid so little attention to her that if she died he wouldn’t be
able to identify the body.
Prov. 12:25 - “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word
cheers him up.”
2. You Rehearse God’s Covenant Vows - 30:6
The word “Lord” is all capitals, which means it was the word Yahweh or
Jehovah in English. He identified himself as the “I AM.” This was the
covenant cutting, covenant keeping God of Israel. David was reflecting on
the God who is faithful to his vows, that what he promised he will perform.
“My God will hear me; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light unto
me: He will bring me to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness”
(Micah 7:7-9).
God will not allow the righteous to be forsaken; he won’t let you fall to the
extent that you can’t be recovered; He won’t allow you to be stressed to the
point of breaking. (II Cor. 4)
“Encouraged” - chazaq - means to seize or take hold of, and is used 364
times in Scripture.
The first time is Genesis 19:16 concerning Lot as he left Sodom - “And
while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand....”
Gen. 48:2 - “Jacob strengthened himself and sat up on his bed.”
1 Chron. 9:13 - “Be of good courage and let us behave ourselves
valiantly.”
When David encouraged himself in a covenant God he said: In spite of my
circumstances I fasten upon; seize, strengthen, take help, confirm, behave
myself valiantly, establish myself and thus find encouragement in the Lord.
3. You Request the Mind of God - 30:8
David requested the Ephod. The ephod represents wrapping yourself in
prayer. ** Describe ephod - seamless linen which represents ceaseless
prayer. When discouraged we must be committed to hearing God’s voice.
Held twelve stones for twelve tribes which means God’s answer will be for
the benefit of all, not just you.
4. You Recover all the enemy has stolen - I Sam. 30:18-19
How much territory has the devil taken from you. Irrespective of how much
it’s time to take it back.
*** Brook Besor - the key to getting back is crossing this river. Besor means
glad tidings, fulness of cheer, message of joy. You’ve got to take a dip in
the river of joy. The joy of the Lord is your strength.
Some of you are tired of fighting. You say “I just don’t have any fight left in
me.” What if Jesus had said that? **** Elijah and Jezebel - he had
burned the candle at both ends and when the enemy said “Boo” he fell
apart.
It’s time to fight in the power of God until victory comes.
5. You Re-enforce the victory in praise to God
The psalms are David encouraging himself in the Lord.
