“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” — Psalm 27:13-14
Conquer Discouragement
Sam (not his real name) was a middle-round draft pick in the NFL. He excelled in the rookie mini-camp in April, earned the respect of coaches during summer workouts, and expected to claim a roster spot in training camp. Sam never missed a chapel or team Bible study; he was always engaged in learning to walk with God.
When camp ended, Sam didn’t make the 53-man roster, but was signed to the practice squad. He worked as hard as any teammate, but being on the practice squad eliminated him from the sideline on game days. Discouragement grew with each passing week. He eventually replaced the weekly team Bible study with a weekly escape to the local clubs.
Discouragement sidetracked Sam’s focus and direction in life. We all fight a lifelong battle with discouragement when there are lost expectations and unwelcome circumstances.
Discouragement is usually connected to time. How much longer, Lord? When, Lord? The longer God seems silent, the more likely we question His goodness.
We hear voices that question God’s character. If God is sovereign (He can do anything He wants) and omnipotent (all-powerful), why has He not changed my circumstances or answered my prayers? We conclude that if God has the power to do something, but doesn’t do it, then His goodness must be in question.
The psalmist’s belief that God is good kept him from despair (Psalm 27:13-14). It enabled him to wait, a decision to hold off on wrongly assessing God’s silence. We fight discouragement by letting God accomplish His will in His timing.
— Tom Petersburg, catapultministries.org
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