Discouragement/Dismay

Ezra 4:4-5

“Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. They hired counselors to work against them and frustrate their plans…” 

            This happened immediately after the people’s celebration of laying the temple’s foundation. At the celebration, the sounds of joy were not distinguishable from the sounds of weeping because the people made so much noise “and the sound was heard far away”.  

            How many times in our lives does it seem that others go out of their way to discourage us? The worst time for this to happen is right after we have something wonderful occurring in our lives. Are they jealous or do they just like making others as miserable as they are?  

What is discouragement?       

            (L dis=apart, asunder cor=heart) To deprive of courage, hope, spirit, or confidence, to persuade, to refrain; to try to prevent by disapproving; to hamper, hinder. 

Who in the Bible got discouraged?

·         Moses (Numbers 11:15)

·         Joshua (Joshua 7:7)

·         Elijah (1 Kings 19:4)

·         Job (Job 10:1)

·         David (Psalms 42:6)

·         Jeremiah (Jeremiah 15:10)

·         The disciples (Luke 24:17)

·         The Israelites (Exodus 6:9)

o   The Israelites did not listen to Moses telling them that God was going to set them free because they were discouraged and because of their cruel bondage.

If some of the top people in the Bible got discouraged, what makes us think we are immune? 

What causes discouragement?

·         The hardness of the way (Numbers 21:4)

·         The difficulty of the task (Nehemiah 4:10)

·         The prosperity of the wicked (Psalms 73:2,3)

·         Delay in fulfillment of desires (Proverbs 13:12)

·         Believing a negative (untrue) report 

What happens when we get discouraged?

·         Impatience (Numbers 21:4)

·         Complaining

·         Negative outlook

·         Fear

·         Depression

·         Suicide

·         Drained of power

·         Anger

·         Worry 

What can we do to prevent getting discouraged?

·         Realize the importance of what we are doing

·         Pray

·         Post a guard

o   Expect an attack and have your weapons ready (the Word, faith, praise)

o   Find an encourager

o   Realize that the most vulnerable time for an enemy to attack is right after a victory celebration, besides causing confusion an intense battle gets your mind off the victory you did win previously.

o   Realize the consequences of giving up

§  Bondage

§  Perhaps death

§  Losing

§  No power/faith

o   Realize that the battle is not yours, but God’s

o   Return to work

§  Persistence 

1.    Do you ever get discouraged?

2.    In general, why do you get discouraged? Why would someone not get discouraged?

3.    How does discouragement affect your life?

4.    Is discouragement usually productive? Explain your answer.

5.    How do you overcome discouragement, or do you?

6.    What do you think is the best way to become encouraged rather than discouraged?

7.    What scriptures help in times of discouragement?

Scriptures of encouragement: 

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 

Psalm 27:14

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. 

Psalm 31:24

 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD. 

Psalm 37                                                                                                                                     Do not fret because of those who are evil
    or be envious of those who do wrong;
² for like the grass they will soon wither,
    like green plants they will soon die away.

³ Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
⁴ Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him and he will do this:
⁶ He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

⁷ Be still before the Lord
    and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.

⁸ Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
    do not fret—it leads only to evil.
⁹ For those who are evil will be destroyed,
    but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

¹⁰ A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
    though you look for them, they will not be found.
¹¹ But the meek will inherit the land
    and enjoy peace and prosperity.

¹² The wicked plot against the righteous
    and gnash their teeth at them;
¹³ but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he knows their day is coming.

¹⁴ The wicked draw the sword
    and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
    to slay those whose ways are upright.
¹⁵ But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
    and their bows will be broken.

¹⁶ Better the little that the righteous have
    than the wealth of many wicked;
¹⁷ for the power of the wicked will be broken,
    but the Lord upholds the righteous.

¹⁸ The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,
    and their inheritance will endure forever.
¹⁹ In times of disaster they will not wither;
    in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

²⁰ But the wicked will perish:
    Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
    they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.

²¹ The wicked borrow and do not repay,
    but the righteous give generously;
²² those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
    but those he curses will be destroyed.

²³ The Lord makes firm the steps
    of the one who delights in him;
²⁴ though he may stumble, he will not fall,
    for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

²⁵ I was young and now I am old,
    yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
    or their children begging bread.
²⁶ They are always generous and lend freely;
    their children will be a blessing.^[b]

²⁷ Turn from evil and do good;
    then you will dwell in the land forever.
²⁸ For the Lord loves the just
    and will not forsake his faithful ones.

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed^[c];
    the offspring of the wicked will perish.
²⁹ The righteous will inherit the land
    and dwell in it forever.

³⁰ The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
    and their tongues speak what is just.
³¹ The law of their God is in their hearts;
    their feet do not slip.

³² The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
    intent on putting them to death;
³³ but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
    or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

³⁴ Hope in the Lord
    and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
    when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

³⁵ I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
    flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
³⁶ but he soon passed away and was no more;
    though I looked for him, he could not be found.

³⁷ Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
    a future awaits those who seek peace.^[d]
38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
    there will be no future^[e] for the wicked.

³⁹ The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
⁴⁰ The Lord helps them and delivers them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

           

When Sorrow Will Flee Away-Isaiah 35:1-10

Isaiah 35:1-10 ¹The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, ²it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. ³Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; ⁴say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you." ⁵Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. ⁶Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. ⁷The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. ⁸And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. ⁹No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, ¹⁰and those the LORD has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

New International Version , Copyright 2011-2017 Biblica

1.      Do you ever get discouraged? Why might someone get discouraged? How might someone keep from getting discouraged?

2.      How does discouragement affect your life? What do you do when you find you are discouraged?

3.      Can we have joy and be discouraged at the same time? How would you explain your answer?

4.      What is it about joy that changes our outlook on life? How is the joy of the redeemed the product of their faith?

5.      Have you ever felt like your life was a desert? Can you describe the feeling?

6.      Why do you suppose Isaiah used the crocus as the example? When does the crocus usually appear? How do you feel when you see a crocus? What happens when your life “breaks forth into bloom”?

7.      What is the design of the gospel?

8.      What does the “then” of verses 5 and 6 refer?

9.      Are verses 5-7 speaking literally or figuratively? (see Isaiah 6:9f; and 32:3-4) Is Isaiah referring to the work of the Messiah and the Holy Spirit?

10.  What is unique about:

a.       A highway in the desert

b.      This particular highway

Why might someone wish to use this highway?

11.  Jesus said, ‘I am the Way…” How might verse 8 be read now? How are you doing on the highway to holiness?

a.       Cruising on auto-pilot

b.      Running out of gas

c.       Broken down

d.      Driving distracted

e.       Going the wrong way

12.  How can you be helped to get on the highway and make progress?