Overcoming Discouragement

Sometimes in life we find ourselves sitting in discouragement, depression or even despair. Maybe it’s an unfortunate turn of events, a relationship problem, stress at work, a health issue or even a loss. We want to be positive but we just can’t get there right now!

David seems to have this same problem in Psalms 42. He’s crying out about how down he is and yet he knows the answer is in God. He reminds himself over and over in this chapter and the next. So, what can we do to find help?

First of all, before we rush off, we need to sit and take a deep look within and ask ourselves, “What is really going on with me and how did I get here?” Look at the decisions we made or am I too busy. Have I let worry and negative thinking reign in my mind, have I spent time with others who bring me down or is this just an outright attack by the enemy?

Next, we need to go to the Father! We need to remember that we are children of God and we can cry out to him as David did. Maybe the only thing we can say is, “Help!”. Our God hears us. The Spirit will intercede for us. Take hold of Jesus hand and walk with him, even if it is just baby steps!

Thought Questions:

Are you struggling? Ask God to show you one small step that you can make this week to move in a new direction!