FAITH SEES US THROUGH THE DESERT OF DISCOURAGEMENT
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The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land. – Isaiah 58:11 –
God is masterful in making ways through the desert for His children. Times of discouragement can seem like vast deserts before us with no end in sight and no oasis along the way. Yet our faithful God sees us through our desert times.
We meet upon the desert of discouragement when life seems overwhelming, more than we can bear…. when doubts and fears arise not grounded in truth… when setbacks and defeats sap our strength. Our faith in the only One who can help us falters. All we see is the seemingly endless path of sweltering desert before us.
If you are going through a time of discouragement, there is a time of great personal growth ahead. – Oswald Chambers
Discouragement is defined as a feeling of low spirits, with diminished confidence, enthusiasm, courage or hope. Lack of faith lies at the heart of discouragement. For where our focus is, our faith will follow. If our focus is on ourselves, our world and our problems, we will lack the faith to trust in God.
Our desert times can be times of great growth in our spiritual walk when we place our complete faith in our Lord. Yet when we are in the midst of the desert of discouragement, we fail to see His power and omnipotence. We trust in ourselves and people in our lives more than Him. We forget that He is able to do infinitely more than all we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).
Discouragement is perhaps the most powerful weapon in the enemy’s arsenal. He wants us to turn our focus inward and wallow in our feelings. We believe his lies, half-truths and deceptions. If he can discourage us, weaken our faith, cause us to lose hope, he knows we will be of little use for God’s kingdom.
Yet I am always with You; You hold me by my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory. – Psalm 73:23-24
How do you survive and thrive in the desert of discouragement?
† Take every thought captive to Christ – To overcome discouragement, capture the thoughts that lead you into the desert and give them to the Lord. He will bear away those thoughts, and the emotions that follow, and turn your contemplations toward Him.
† Resist the enemy and he will flee – Discern where you are allowing the enemy to fill your mind with his lies. When he attempts to turn your attention to the overwhelming heat of the desert, resist and rise above his deceptions.
† Spend time in prayer and God’s Word – Turn your focus upward and reconnect to the Lord whose mercy never ends. Satisfy your thirst with His truth to find encouragement and hope. Seek the oasis of His presence… and pray prayers of power.
† Speak the promises of God – Turn your focus outward and shower your life and the lives of those in your world with blessings and promises from God’s Word. For His Word is powerful in changing the spiritual world.
† Be thankful and recognize God’s blessings – Discouragement cannot last long in a thankful heart. When you praise God for all the blessings He so generously rains down upon you, your spirit is refreshed and renewed.
† Live a holy life – Our Lord will show you areas of your life where your faith is weak… where you have succumbed to the heat… where you have strayed from His ways. Repent and return to Him, making your heart right before Him. He will empower you to follow Him.
† Recognize God’s ever-presence with you – Discover who or what you are trusting in besides the Lord… areas where you are relying on your own resources to see you through the desert. Look to Him alone, for He is by your side… your source of strength and faith.
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. – Jeremiah 17:7
True faith rests in the One who delivers. By faith we let God be in control. The desert of discouragement can seem to stretch endlessly before us. Yet Jesus triumphed over all evil in His desert times. When we keep our eyes on the One who is Faithful and True, we will renew our faith and our trust in Him.
The Lord gives us courage and hope to overcome. In Him, we can have the confidence to face trials… the grace to carry on… and the perseverance to endure on our journey of life. Our Lord will make a way for us through the desert of discouragement. We need only trust and follow.
† Eternal Takeaway – Let God use your time in the desert of discouragement for great growth †
