TEXT: NUMBERS 21:1-35
MEMORY VERSE: _”Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” (KJV) (Joshua 1:9).
Discouragement is a major weapon of the devil. Please understand that the devil will do everything to make sure you quit the faith and start trusting in something else, but make up your mind never to give up. Also know that the sorrow of those who run after other gods shall multiply. You will never see one person in the entire Bible that really served God without their own share of life’s troubles and challenges. Life’s challenges are real, but you are destined to win. Job was a God-fearing person; he walked perfectly before God, but he had great challenges that made friends and relations forsake him. Even his wife could not understand it, the wife told him to curse God and die, but he refused.
Another person that faced great challenges was David. There was a time in David’s life, the man after God’s heart, when he was confronted with myriads of problems. The enemies attacked Ziklag and went away with all their properties, wives, and children. When David and his men got back to Ziklag, they were wearied. Though they were men of war, they wept profusely. As if that was not enough, David’s mighty men, who had been very faithful to him — people he raised out of their distress and lack — turned against him and planned to stone him. David could not do anything but encourage himself in the Lord. Sometimes you may not see the people, the friends, the brethren to console you when you need them. But please refuse to be discouraged; encourage yourself in the Lord. What shall we say about Hannah, Sarah, and Rachel who had problems with barrenness and childbearing? The joy of it is that none of them died barren; God made a way for them, and that same God will make a way for you. There are many reasons why people get discouraged, sometimes because of the detours on the way (Numbers 21:4-7).
WISDOM NUGGET:
We are like tea bags: our best comes out when we find ourselves in the “hot water” of challenges and trials.
PRAYER POINT:
Lord, help me to confront my life’s challenges with courage in Jesus name.