Discouragement

Have you ever tried to accomplish something with every good intention along with having high hopes of having a great ending but to your surprise, it did not turn out that good? Discouragement is like a needle pricking a balloon causing it to rapidly deflate. It’s a terrible thing to experience and could be devastating.

Definition of discouragement; Having lost your confidence or enthusiasm for something; An attempt to prevent something by showing disapproval or creating difficulties; The act or process of discouraging actions or preventing occurrences by instilling fear or doubt or anxiety.

Are you here today experiencing discouragement or have in the past? Have you not completely got over the hurt or setback that it has caused? Maybe you are here today and all is well. What are the chances you might have to face discouragement in the future?

In this lesson, we would like to study about Nehemiah, who stood up against tremendous discouragement. It is our hope that this will strengthen your heart in the Lord to fight and have victory over discouragement now and in the future.

In 605 B.C., King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon Fought Against the City of Jerusalem. He Broke Down the Walls, Burned the City Gates, and Brought the Jewish People into Captivity to Babylon.

Over 70 years pass, and there is a new king, Artaxerxes of the Medes and Persians, (of whom Nehemiah was a servant to).

(Nehemiah 1:1-3), “The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the citadel, that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”

The remnant is in great distress and reproach.

• Distress: sorrow, suffering, agony. troubled, ill-favored
• Reproached: Disgraced, rebuked, shamed, criticized

When Nehemiah heard this, he was greatly troubled.

(vs. 4a), “So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days…”

Two things bothered Nehemiah;

• The remnant – distressed, reproached: It is so discouraging when you see or hear of God’s people being defeated, distressed, and reproached…when you KNOW that the Lord wants them to have VICTORY!!!
• The other thing that bothered Nehemiah was that the walls of Jerusalem had been broken down, and the gates burned. The wall stood for strength, fortification, and safety. The gates stood for control (letting the good in, and keeping the bad out).  Jerusalem was a powerful city, but now it was in ruins.

While Nehemiah Was Greatly Discouraged, He Did Five Things:

• Nehemiah fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven.

(Nehemiah 1:4), “So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”

To some, getting on your knees may seem like a weak, defeated position. But in God’s eyes, it is where you are the strongest, because it is on our knees that we draw from the power of the promises of our God!

• Nehemiah reminded himself of God’s promises to the righteous.

(Nehemiah 1:5),” And I said: “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments,”

There is no surer foundation than the promises of God, but the promises are for the faithful and obedient.

• Confess sin

(Nehemiah 1:6-7), “please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.”

• Made his request

(Nehemiah 1:8-9), “Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.”

• Fully trust in God

(Nehemiah 1:10-11), “Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” For I was the king’s cupbearer.”

Nehemiah Was Greatly Encouraged

Can you imagine? The king not only gives Nehemiah the OK to go and rebuild, but also gave Nehemiah the supplies needed! It was really our God working in the heart of the king

(Nehemiah 2:7-8), “Furthermore I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of the region beyond the River, that they must permit me to pass through till I come to Judah, and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he must give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel which pertains to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house that I will occupy.” And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me.”

When our God gives the “OK”, no matter what your request was, the Lord will provide what you will need. But always remember, He will provide according to His love and wisdom of knowing what is best for you.

The account of Nehemiah continues as discouragement tries to come in all shapes and sizes. It came from the enemies of the Israelites. Nehemiah also had to deal with challenges from his own people. But Nehemiah never gave up. The result is that God gives Nehemiah the victory, and discouragement is defeated.

(Nehemiah 6:15-16), “So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.”

If you are here today facing discouragement, do what Nehemiah did as we have mentioned earlier in this study.

• Fast and pray before the God of Heaven
• Remind yourself of God’s promises to the righteous
• Confess any sin
• Make your request
• Fully trust in God to bring about the results that are best for you

The following Bible verses will be of great encouragement if you just simply believe in them with a childlike faith.

(2 Corinthians 4:16-18), “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

(Proverbs 3:5-6), “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”

(Proverbs 16:3), “Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established.”

(Psalms 37:5), “Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.”

(Hebrews 11:6), “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

(Isaiah 40:31), “But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”

(Joshua 1:9), “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

(Romans 8:28), “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

(Philippians 4:6-7), “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.