The Prison of Discouragement
Numbers13:26-14
May 16, 2004
Introduction
The movie Toy Story has to be one of my favorite animated films. It’s a wonderful story about toys that come to life and have great adventures while no is watching. The two key characters are Woody a stuffed cowboy doll and Buzz Lightyear the latest and greatest action figure.
There is one problem though through out the movie Buzz believes that he is a real hero and not a toy. In the scene we are going to watch this morning, Woody confronts Buzz about the reality of who and what he is. Here is a clip from the movie Toy Story.
Thinking that toys come to life is just make believe but there is something about Buzz that I think we all can relate to; he got discouraged. Even though talking toys are not real, discouragement is a very real problem for all of us at times.
This morning I want to look at one of the times when discouragement took over the nation of Israel and the price they paid for it.
I. The Discouraging Report (13:26-33)
To set the stage for the events in these verses, Moses had selected 12 men to scout out the Promised Land because they were preparing to invade and take over the land that God Promised to give to them.
The spies have just returned from their mission and give their report to Moses. I think it is important to remember what these men were responsible for doing. Look at verses 18-20 in chapter 13.
Their mission was to:
· Discover what people lived in the land and see what their strength and numbers were
· Discover the kind of land
· Discover the kinds of towns and fortifications
· Discover the kind of soil, trees and fruit
The responsibilities of the spies was to search the land and report the facts of what they had found.
However, the spies did not give their report based only on facts. The spies started out telling the people how great and wonderful the land was and that the place was truly amazing. The spies even brought back a bunch of grapes that took two men to carry and told Israel that this was a land of milk and honey.
Unfortunately, they did not stop with just the facts when it came to the people already living in the land. The spies reported about the people living in the land and then gave their opinion about these nations
Read 13:28-29
The opinion of ten spies was that their enemies were too powerful, too numerous and too overwhelming. These men took their focus off of God and put it on their circumstances. They revealed a true lack of faith and when faith begins to diminish, discouragement starts to set in.
Discouragement is dissatisfaction with the past, distaste for the present, and distrust of the future. It is ingratitude for the blessings of yesterday, indifference to the opportunities of today, and insecurity regarding strength for tomorrow. It is unawareness of the presence of beauty, unconcern for the needs of our fellowman, and unbelief in the promises of old. It is impatience with time, immaturity of thought, and impoliteness to God. William Ward
The ten spies were already discouraged because they saw a good and wonderful land but they also saw a fight that they could not win. Instead of trusting God to accomplish what they could not do on their own, they gave up. This attitude spread like wildfire through the Israelite camp. The simple truth is this: nothing kills the enthusiasm and spirit of a church like an attitude problem.
Discouragement starts with a wrong focus
Discouragement is a disease of the soul and it flows out of a lack of faith in God. When we focus on the circumstances and situations around us, we will always get discouraged.
When we fail to remember who is in control of things, we will get discouraged. When we stop counting the blessings we’ve been given and the victory that Christ has already won for us, we will get discouraged.
Discouragement gets our priorities out of place
When we get discouraged priorities begin to shift
· Relationships start to suffer: In times of discouragement, people tend to spend less positive time with others.
· Spiritual things matter less and less: When people get discouraged they spend less time with God.
· Passion for God’s work move to the back burner: When people get discouraged their desire and drive to serve God lessens
II. The Discouraging Response (14:1-12)
Great discouragement infected the entire camp and the situation was disasterous. This was the world’s biggest pity party. The discouragement in the camp made the circumstances worse than they actually were. There is an old saying: Life is made of 10% of what actually happens to us and 90% of how we respond to it. Israel responded in a horrible manner. The reality is that when people get discouraged the giants against them grow larger while they themselves become smaller.
The people refused to listen to Joshua and Caleb when they tried to reason with the people and get them to put their trust in God. These two men tried to encourage the people to follow God but it was too late; the decision was already made. The people were not going to follow God. The people were not only refusing to listen to Joshua and Caleb but they were threatening to stone them.
Discouragement is a prison for the soul
The people of Israel allowed their discouragement to drive a wedge between them and the plan God had for His people. The people were literally chained to the limitations they had out on themselves and the limitations they placed on God.
Remember these were the same people who watched as God poured the Ten Plagues down on Egypt. They had walked on dry land as God parted the waters of the Red Sea for them to escape Egypt. They followed God’s direction and leadership with the Pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. They saw the awesome glory of God revealed at Mount Sinai.
Discouragement acts like a disease
Discouragement is contagious and it will infect us like a disease. One person is the host and then passes it on to others. Discouragement causes two major problems in the life of a Christian. First it creates ungodly sorrow. This is a poor pitiful me attitude that robs the person of God’s power because of a lack of faith. Second, it creates an attitude that refuses to listen to godly counsel. In other words, discouragement closes the door on listening to God.
Discouragement binds us in our current position
Discouragement can steal our faith quickly and when our faith is diminished so is our ability to overcome the difficulties of life. It becomes a prison cell that keeps us from moving forward in serving God. Discouragement steals our ability to be effective for God. Discouragement opens us to spiritual attacks.
III. The Discouraging The Discouraging Result (14:26-38)
The sad fact is that the people of Israel lost their faith in God and His ability to intervene for them. The people decided that they were not going to follow God. They believed that they knew better than God. The moment they stopped following God, they lost His favor. God cannot and will not pour His blessings into the lives of people who will not obey Him.
The decision to disobey is always costly but for Israel the price was very high. Not only did they lose the favorable position with God, they also lost His promise. God had promised to lead them to the land of Canaan. God wanted to give His people a great land and God had the ability to deliver. So what was the problem?
The people did not believe that God could give them the land and their lack of faith was costly. When we fail to take God at His Word and believe the promises He gave us, we will always pay a price that is far more costly than following Him.
Israel misses out on God’s best for them and they wander in the Wilderness. Instead of having the home God wanted for them, they spent forty years in the desert. The punishment God gives is one year for each day the spies were in Canaan.
The cost was even greater, many people lost their lives. The ten spies who spread the negative report, God struck them with a plague and they all died. The rest of the nation will die in the Wilderness before they reach the Promised Land. The only two people who live from this day to enter the Promised Land are Joshua and Caleb. Every other person in the current generation would die off before reaching what God promised them. What a terrible price to pay for doing nothing.
Conclusion – How do we overcome discouragement?
Remember the scene from Toy Story, Buzz was encouraged because he remembered who he belonged to. The same is true for us as well.
Remember what God has promised
Remember what God has provided
Remember where God is guiding
If you have placed your faith in Christ as your personal savior, you belong to Him and with Him. He will guide you through the rough spots in life but you have to be willing to follow Him wherever He leads. Today, if you are struggling in your walk come to the altar and gain new strength from Christ. Today if you are feeling discouraged and down, come to the altar and let Christ fill you with His power. Today if you are dealing with a situation that is bigger than your strength, come and lay down to let Christ handle it. Today, if you just want to walk a little closer come down and draw nearer to your Lord.
