Breaking the Cycle of Discouragement

From the heart of David:

I cry out loudly to GOD, loudly I plead with GOD for mercy. I spill out all my complaints before him, and spell out my troubles in detail: "As I sink in despair, my spirit ebbing away, you know how I'm feeling, Know the danger I'm in, the traps hidden in my path. Look right, look left-- there's not a soul who cares what happens! I'm up against it, with no exit-- bereft, left alone. I cry out, GOD, call out: 'You're my last chance, my only hope for life!' Oh listen, please listen; I've never been this low. Rescue me from those who are hunting me down; I'm no match for them. Get me out of this dungeon so I can thank you in public. Your people will form a circle around me and you'll bring me showers of blessing!" (Psalms 142)

From the sermon notes of David Jeremiah:

Psalm 142 is a beautiful presentation of the cycle of discouragement everyone goes through at some point in life. David writes these words in a cave in which he is hiding from Saul, who wants to kill him.

David gives a detailed description of his pain saying he is disoriented; his spirit is muffled within him. He says he has been deserted. He says his feelings of disorientation and desertion have resulted in depression. David says he is defeated; he has no hope for the future.

David teaches us that it is okay to tell God how we feel. He paints God a picture of how he feels, and teaches us that it is okay to visualize your problem if you keep it in perspective.

We can take comfort in the fact that God already is aware of our problems before we even approach him, and he understands. When he sees God’s strength, his problem begins to fade away. Someone wrote, “Friend, there’s no living in the land of the living like living on the living God.”

Knowing that discouragement, depression and pain are experiences that are common to all of us gives us a bit of hope. Many of the greatest people of all times traveled through very dark places to emerge as people of great courage and fortitude. Pain will shape us - sometimes for the good and sometimes not.

We pray Lord that you will help us to break the cycle of discouragement in our lives and use our pain to shape us for your beautiful purposes.

Amen

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