Fight Discouragement

How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying His commands... They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly. — Psalm 112:1, 7-8 NLT

Today is the day you’re going to obliterate discouragement from your life.
One of the biggest battles we face is discouragement. Everybody has to fight this.

One day as I was praying, the Lord asked me to state aloud the opposite of courage.

“Fear, of course,” I said.

No, it’s discouragement, God whispered.

Suddenly, I saw the word discourage in a whole new light!

We should view discouragement as the opposite of courage, and, therefore, it is to be given no place in our minds. Yet it’s something we often tolerate. We don’t recognize it as an enemy to our faith, so we pamper it and coddle it, we lean into it and feel sorry for ourselves when it comes.

But why? When we know that God is our source of joy and courage, we have no reason to fear or be discouraged. When discouragement inevitably comes knocking at our door, here’s what we need to do:

• be strong and of good courage.

Think of a clear example of bravery in the Bible. Joshua was one of the children of Israel who left Egypt to embark on the great exodus. He and Caleb were among the twelve men sent from the tribes of Israel to spy out the land of Canaan. This was the land God promised to them. Yet ten of those spies didn’t believe the Israelites could secure it. Only Joshua and Caleb declared with confidence that the Lord would surely deliver Canaan into their hands. All twelve leaders saw the same things, but they didn’t see them the same way. Ten chose the path of their own ability, which led to discouragement, and only two saw God’s ability.

This was the reason God said,

Be strong and of good courage. — Deuteronomy 3:16

to Joshua seven different times — whether it was through Moses, the elders, or God Himself — before entering the promised land. The Lord knew this would be one of Joshua’s greatest challenges.

Discouragement occurs during the droughts in our lives. It arrives in the middle of the battle when we feel deserted by God. The true enemies to the Israelites weren’t the intimidating giants living in the promised land. No — the enemies were the insulting whispers in their minds to remain in fear.

Joshua and Caleb feared God more than any threatening enemy. Because of that, they became the only two original members of the exodus to enter and possess the promised land.

Dear heavenly Father, give me the courage to dispel discouragement with words of faith and hope from You. May I delight in the fear of You, for it is “a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death” (Proverbs 14:27). In Jesus’ name, amen.

Excerpted with permission from Everyday Courage by John Bevere, copyright John P. Bevere.

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Your Turn

Have you ever thought of discouragement as the opposite of courage? How does that change how you look at and feel about discouragement? Does it make you want to fight it? Discouragement is an enemy to faith! Let’s be courageous! ~ Devotionals Daily