The Spirit Of Discouragement

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