Overcoming Discouragement, Pt. 4

Are you standing on the Rock or in the pit? Are you on solid ground or in quicksand?

Overcoming Discouragement, Pt. 4

"To You I will cry, O LORD my Rock:
Do not be silent to me,
Lest, if You are silent to me,
I become like those who go down to the pit.
Hear the voice of my supplications
When I cry to You,
When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary."

(Psalm 28:1-2)

Are you standing on the Rock or in the pit? Standing on the Rock of our salvation means to be firmly planted in your relationship with the LORD. Standing in the pit means you are on unstable ground, in a place of despair and discouragement. King David cried out to God who was the Rock of his salvation. He asked God to not be silent, lest he go down to the pit. It is always a wise action when you feel you are spiraling downward to cry out to God in prayer and lift your hands in worship to the God who loves you and is the only One who can help you.

Pastor Charles Stanley, when preaching a message on overcoming discouragement, asked how we should respond to this strong pull toward discouragement. He said you must change your viewpoint. He gave the following helpful, practical advice:

Look within and ask, "Why am I so discouraged?"
Look up to God for help.
Look back at all the times He got you through.
Look ahead in faith.

God does not change. He delivered you and lifted you out of the pit before, and He will do it again. Pastor Stanley gives some more practical responses for us to take when discouragement tries to invade our lives, where we are not merely disappointed, but we are discouraged, and we have lost our courage:

Stop and rest. HALT! If you are hungry, angry, lonely, and tired, then you need to slow down, relax, and recharge.
Reorganize your life. Do what is right and do it in the right ways.
Resolve in your mind and heart to trust God. The most important thing to do is trust God. He is the Almighty God of the universe; He is all-powerful, and He is a good God. He is with us in every single circumstance. He will not leave or forsake us, but He will always be with us, living within by the Holy Spirit. We will never face anything alone. We can't handle it, but He can.
Resist discouragement. We will be disappointed, but we do not have to choose discouragement, where we lose our courage and confidence. God will get you out. God will get you through your hard times. He has in the past, and I know He will yet again.
Get in the Bible every day. No matter how painful and rejected he felt, Stanley said he was in the Word every day. That is how he got through the hard, painful years. Don't have a closed Bible, but open it up and read it every day. He will speak to you every time.

You are not alone! The LORD loves you. Lift up your eyes and cry out to Him. Reach out to a friend and share with them what you are going through. Ask them to pray for you. Hang in there. Those clouds are going to run out of rain! The sun will shine!