Last time we said that with all that is going on in the world today that we must resist falling into fear. Fear takes our focus off of the Lord and the hope that He provides.
Hebrews 11:1 states that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The things hoped for in this verse are the promises of God found in the Bible. The evidence of things not seen speaks of the spiritual nature of our battle against fear. Fear is a crippling emotion, and we must learn to recognize real threats from those threats that we imagine and magnify to the point we are helpless and hopeless! There is an essential difference between being disappointed and discouraged.Show More
The Difference Between Discouragement and Disappointment is HOPE!
Both disappointment and discouragement involve feelings down and low. discouragement is a CHOICE to stay in the pity hole.
- Disappointment | the feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the nonfulfillment of one’s hopes or expectations.
- Discouragement | loss of confidence or enthusiasm; to lose hope.
Discouragement differs from disappointment.
When our expectations aren’t met, we feel disappointed. But discouragement, a feeling of despair and desperation, is a choice. We can choose to remain dejected or determine to work through our feelings and overcome them.
Recovering from Disappointment and Discouragement.
There is an excellent episode in David’s life found in 1 Samuel 30, that shows how David dealt with disappointment before it could turn into discouragement and depression. This happened before David became king.
David and his men were in the wilderness escaping from the wrath of King Saul, of Israel. King Saul was threatened by the popularity of David. While David and his men were returning to Ziklag where their families were, the Amalekites attacked Ziklag, burned it to the ground, and took all the women and children captive.
When David and his men arrived at Ziklag and saw what had been done verse 4 says,
- “Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.” They were all disappointed and distressed, as you can imagine. David’s men were so discouraged that they spoke of stoning David. Verse 6, “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.”
Did you catch what David did? He “strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” That is step number one.
When we become disappointed or discouraged, we must do the same as David, “strengthen ourselves in the Lord our God!” We strengthen ourselves by taking every thought captive; if those thoughts don’t line up with what God has said about us, we must discard them and not dwell on those kinds of ideas. Thoughts of fear, anxiety, defeat, hopelessness. Those kinds of thoughts are from the enemy of our soul, Satan!
- James 4:7, “Therefore submit to God. Resist (push against) the devil and he will flee from you.”
- Ephesians 6:13, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
The second thing we must do is go to the Lord and direction from Him. God knows the plans He has for you to prosper you and bless you. Those are the thoughts we must embrace, even when our emotions cause us to despair.
- Verse 8, “So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”
David encouraged his men, and they pursued the Amalekites. They found the Amalekites and destroyed them, recovering their wives and children without any harm to them. As a bonus for their faithfulness to believe God, they plundered the Amalekites of their treasure.
I encourage you to read all of 1 Samuel 30 for more in-depth insights that the Lord may give you, and keep in mind:
- Disappointment is Universal. Almost everyone has been disappointed at one time or another.
- Disappointment is Recurring. You may overcome disappointment one week, only to face it again the next.
- Disappointment is Contagious. Watch out for those who want to pull you down by indulging in negativity and self-pity.
- Disappointment is Unpredictable. You never know when it will strike you or a loved one.
- Disappointment is Temporary. It will pass if you respond correctly.
Don’t allow disappointment, which is an unfulfilled hope or expectation to turn into discouragement, which is a loss of hope. Take control of the kinds of thoughts you choose to focus on. Focus on Jesus the lover of your soul!
Meditate on the following verse as you face life this week, Psalms 31:24, “Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.”
In closing keep in mind the battle begins in the spiritual realm, the victory in the spirit will manifest in the physical realm:
- Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
- 2 Corinthians 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
Activate your faith… Speak to your situation!
Mark 11:22-24 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
