July 2020 | Page 07
Lk 6:26 - “Woe to you, when all people speak
well of you, for so their fathers did to the false
prophets.”
Hence let us not worry about what people
say, but let us set right our relationship with God.
He will cleanse us and purify us. What God says
about us is more important than what people say.
6) Deferred Hope Can Discourage Us
We all live with expectations. Our
expectations become our hopes.
Hope is a beautiful thing. The Bible says that
Love, Hope and Faith are three great things (1 Cor
13:13). Hope sustains human beings. We all hope
for something. We hope for a new job, our
children's marriage, settlement, good ministry,
promotions, so on and so forth. This hope for
tomorrow becomes our driving force of life. When
a person looses hope, then discouragement sets
in and this might even lead to depression.
Some develop high hopes with regard to
their business or children or ministry. But when
that hope is dashed, they get discouraged. Some
people used to say, ' I have this one hope.' Or 'I can
count on him/her' or even 'This is my only hope'
or 'My last hope.'
When we have certain things or people in our
lives, which can qualify for our 'only hope' then
we are setting ourselves in a place where we can
be discouraged to the core. I believe Elijah too had
this mentality. According to him, Mount Carmel
was the last thing Israel could see. He thought fire
from Heaven could change everything. He pinned
all his hopes on that one event. But when that
event did not bring out what he expected, he was
disillusioned and prayed for death.
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Beloved, take heart. Elijah went through the
same experience. See how a great prophet
developed suicidal tendencies. God had plans to
take him to Heaven even without his physical
death. But he prayed to the contrary. Moses too
once prayed like this (Num 11:15) and so did
Jonah (Jon 4:8). Praise be to God that He does
not answer all our prayers.
What we need during such trying times is
Rest and Refocus. Beloved, this is my spiritual
suggestion to overcome the fiery darts of
discouragements. Rest in the Lord and refocus on
the task ahead. Even when all our hopes are lost,
we still can hope in the Lord. Jesus is our only
hope. Let us turn to God and His Word. We should
learn to run to Him, wait on Him and get
directions from Him.
Elijah did the same. He ran to Horeb the
mountain of God (1 Ki 19:8). He knew only God
can understand him and can deal with the
situation.
“Whom I have in Heaven except you” says the
Psalmist (Psa 73:25).
God is our refuge in times of trouble. Let us
run to Him. He will protect us from the fiery darts
of discouragement. The God who guided Elijah
and gave him a new direction and jobs, will guide
us through (I Ki 19:15-18).
Hence my beloved, let us not be
discouraged. Even when we walk through the
path of discouragement, let us learn to take rest in
His presence and seek His guidance. May God
strengthen us and use us according to His plan
and purpose.
Amen.
1Ki 19:4 - “And he asked that he might die,
saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my
life,..”
Have you prayed such prayers “It is enough
Lord. Oh! I have faced a lot of discouragement.
Everybody left me. People whom I trusted
betrayed me. I have no one to turn to. Everything
seems mundane. I do not want to live. It is enough
Lord. Take my life”?