SpiritualDiscouragement

Psalm 421To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah. As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. 2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? 3My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, "Where is your God?" 4These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.

Psalm 425Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation 6and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. 7Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. 8By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

Psalm 429I say to God, my rock: "Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?" 10As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, "Where is your God?" 11Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty. (Proverbs 14:23)

Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread. (Proverbs 20:13)

The lazy person says, "There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!" (Proverbs 22:13)

““We all need to get We all need to get the balance right the balance right between action and between action and reflection. With so reflection. With so many distractions, it many distractions, it is easy to forget to is easy to forget to pause and take pause and take stock.”stock.”

What was your year like?

How does 2014 look?

What if I am discouraged?

1. A common problem

2. Unhelpful Answers

3. God’s Answer

unanswered prayer

A CommonProblem

regretssindoubt

fear

failure

disappointment

Unhelpful AnswersIgnored Elephants…

Unhelpful AnswersIgnored Elephants…

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

(Proverbs 13:12)

Unhelpful AnswersIgnored Elephants…

5And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.“

(Heberews 12)

Unhelpful Answers

Looking at yourself too long...

Unhelpful Answers

Looking at yourself too long...

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

(Jeremiah 17:9)

Unhelpful Answers

False Assurance...

They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace. (Jeremiah 6:14)

God’s Answer

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God

(Psalm 42)

God’s Answer3More than that, we boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance produces genuineness, and genuineness produces hope, 5and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 6For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

God’s Answer7For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die--8but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath. 10For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

(Romans 5)

God’s Answer7For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die--8but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath. 10For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

(Romans 5)

God’s Answer18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us…31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

(Romans 8)

God’s Answer1…let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

(Hebrews 12)

What if we are discouraged..?

What if we are discouraged..?

Nothing trite aboutlooking to Jesus!