Overcoming Discouragement, Pt. 1

Are you depressed? Do you feel lost, hopeless, like you have no future? What is causing you to be discouraged? ...and how can you overcome it?

Overcoming Discouragement, Pt. 1

"Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance."

(Psalm 42:5)

This week, our devotions will focus on offering some help and encouragement on overcoming discouragement. I have listened to a couple of messages by Dr. Charles Stanley on this subject, and I look forward to sharing with you some of his teaching. (In his 30 Life Principles series, this is Principle #20.) I will also share some of my own thoughts on this subject.

Are you depressed? Do you feel lost, hopeless, like you have no future? What is causing you to be discouraged? There could be many pressure points for you. There are certainly many stressful things happening in our world today. Just watching the daily news can be very disappointing! Macro issues like wars, inflation, and political infighting are painful to witness. You may be stressed over more micro or personal issues, and you are feeling the weight of strained relationships, finances, or health. There could be multiple reasons why you feel the way you do.

The psalmist in Psalm 42 certainly was going through severe trials in his life. Some believe that David is the author of this psalm, and if so, then we know from Scripture some of the major trials in his life. Maybe you feel like he did, in the tight grip of discouragement. David often traveled difficult roads in his spiritual journey here on earth. He encountered much sorrow and heartache, but notice how he overcame it: Psalm 42:11 (below) is much like Psalm 42:5 (above):

"Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God."

One of the more painful stressors in his life was being betrayed by King Saul. Saul hunted David for years in an attempt to eliminate him so he would not become the next king of Israel. David and his army of 600 men fled to the Philistines, and the king befriended David. We read in 1 Samuel 29 that the Philistine army did not trust David and his men to go to battle with them, lest they turn and fight against them. So, the king sends David back home to Ziklag, the town given to him and those with him. David fell into despair because his city had been attacked and his people taken captive. The people spoke of stoning him. But David did something we all should do when everything seems lost and hopeless: he strengthened himself in the LORD.

1 Samuel 30:6 states, "Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God."

Strengthen yourself in the LORD today through prayer and His Word. May He gird you up and fill you with His peace that surpasses understanding.