The Antidote to Discouragement

“Here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Don’t give up; don’t be impatient; be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting—for he will never disappoint you!” – Psalm 27:14

Recently, I experienced a major setback that I definitely didn’t account for. In fact, I was very hopeful that God would come through on my behalf concerning this matter. This setback seems particularly detrimental to me because, if I’m being honest, a lot is riding on a breakthrough in this area of my life. What intrigues me is that when I spoke to many of the faith figures, mentors, and close friends in my life, each of them, in one way or another, said, “Don’t be discouraged.” This statement is often said, and I believe it carries so much weight. However, I’m sure I’m not the only one who has responded internally, “But how?”

As the Bible says in Hebrews 4:12, the Word of God is living and active! Through the lens of God’s Word, we have been given the Antidote to Discouragement, which I would like to share with you today, sourced from Psalm 27:14!

Psalm 27 is a Psalm of David. In the amplified version of this scripture, it’s titled “A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.” This is indeed a title we can be encouraged by! David at this moment was facing a lot, it seems that life gave Him many reasons not to trust in the Lord, but David continued to hold onto His faith and encouraged others through this Psalm to do the same. 

Let’s delve deeper into this seven-fold Antidote to Discouragement!

Over the years of trial, David learned so much, and Psalm 27:14 is a great summation of a Believer’s faith walk, especially in a season of waiting and hoping on the Lord. The beginning of this Psalm particularly in the Passion Translation reminds me of the famous hymn by Andraé Crouch, “Through it all.” In this famous song, some lyrics say, “For if I'd never had a problem, I’d never know God could solve them, I’d never know what faith in His word could do.” I wonder if David shares the same sentiment as song composer Andraé Crouch, that perhaps His affliction was to deepen His faith in God and not diminish it. 

1. Don’t Give Up

It’s natural to want to give up when things aren’t working the way you’d like or the way you intended. But giving up isn’t in the DNA of a Believer. God never intended for us to give up easily. Here’s the truth: the enemy knows that you’re unstoppable. But if you decide to stop yourself, you negate the victory God has given you! Giving up is dangerous because there are souls and destinies attached to your manifestation. The world is waiting for your unveiling, so don’t forfeit your destiny because you despise the process!

The next time you feel like giving up, tell yourself, “I won’t give up on me because God hasn’t given up on me. As long as there’s breath in my lungs, there’s more for me to live for!”

2. Don’t be Impatient

Remaining patient is probably the hardest thing for anyone to do. The root word for patience in Hebrew is derived from the word suffering. (Whew… Chile!) Patience, as referred to in many scriptures in the Bible, implies the ability to suffer long or endure seasons of trial and tribulation. According to definitions shared on Bible Hub, patience is “the power of suffering with fortitude; uncomplaining endurance of evils or wrongs.”

There’s a way we ought to wait. God desires us, His sons and daughters, to bear the weight of the wait. You must have a certain level of mental capacity and strength to wait on the Lord. The truth is that all of us have a cross to carry. We will encounter many challenges and hard seasons in this life. But God wants us to endure without complaining! I was reading about the Israelites in Numbers yesterday, and it intrigues me to see God’s wrath on display due to their complaints. In fact, throughout the many chapters in Numbers, as various tribes and groups continued to complain, God found their complaining to be a blatant refusal and rebellion against Him. God saw the Israelites’ complaining as a sign that they were adverse to Him, and many of them died due to their impatience.

Mercy! If it had not been for the grace and mercies of God, I believe many of us would fall into the same category as the Israelites and lose our lives as a result. Impatience can be likened to sin, especially because if you remain impatient, sin is likely to follow. I have two reflection questions for you: How are you suffering? (And by this, I mean what has your posture and perspective been?) And, have your words reflected a poor perspective of this season? My friend, watch your words and perspective! Your life is too costly to forfeit due to impatience!

3. Be Entwined as One with the Lord

There is nothing more significant than your oneness with God! The word "entwined" can denote many things, like being knit together, wrapped around, or inseparable. Are you inseparable from God? If your challenges are causing distance between you and God, perhaps you weren’t as grounded as you thought. As David displays in this Psalm, our seasons of trial are supposed to draw us closer to our Heavenly Father. If you’ve found yourself wandering from the Lord due to disappointment, confusion, or distraction, find your way back to Him. He’s waiting for you, just as the Father was waiting for the Prodigal Son. Our Heavenly Father is waiting for us to be in perfect union with Him again.

There’s something beautiful that happens when you come to God with your emotions and tears. God cares about you. He wants to know how you feel. He wants to know your burdens and carry them as His own. Stop running and allow the God of all comfort to comfort you! Become entwined as one with the Lord!

4. Be Brave and Courageous

Many times in scripture, we read statements like “Take heart; don’t be afraid; be strong; be courageous.” I believe that maintaining fearless trust in God requires a great level of bravery and courage. In the blog post “A Courageous Heart in Waiting,” I shared how faith is courageous. For you to see your prophecy fulfilled, come into the manifestation of God’s glory, and experience the supernatural fulfillment of what God has said concerning your life, you MUST be BRAVE AND COURAGEOUS. Don’t allow discouragement to steal your bravery and courage.

Perhaps there’s an audacious opportunity or task that God wants you to undertake, which may even be a set-up for the very thing you’re waiting for. If you remain discouraged, you can’t take hold of your next opportunity. Remaining brave and courageous gives you confidence. Walk confidently, knowing that God is faithful to His Word. Allow your bravery to be fueled by the Word of God!

If you are struggling to be brave and courageous, I highly encourage you to engage the Holy Spirit. We know from the Bible that the Holy Spirit is indeed a Spirit of Boldness. Perhaps the courage you’re lacking in this season comes from intimacy with the Holy Spirit. Make it a priority to build a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit and understand His mind concerning your life. The Holy Spirit is a great Helper and an infusion of divine power—don’t limit your walk with God by limiting the Holy Spirit and grieving Him through disobedience.

5. Never Lose Hope

Fight for hope! Listen, hope is expensive. As the Bible says in Hebrews 11:1 NKJV, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” If you have no hope, faith becomes impossible. When you lose hope, faith soon follows. Remain hopeful by looking at God’s track record—what has God done for you in the past? How has God come through for your family? Remember your last answered prayer! Remind yourself that if God did it before, He can and WILL do it again! Hope is conjured through remembrance. Be intentional in remembering the character of Christ so that your hope and faith in the Lord can increase!

6. Keep on Waiting

You may have more waiting to do, and that’s okay. But I’d like to admonish you to WAIT WELL! There’s a way of waiting that the Lord delights in. I believe that one of the reasons God called David a man after His own heart is because he mastered the art of waiting well. David was consistently put in turbulent situations that made his days very hard and loathsome, but he held on to his trust in God, and God always came through on his behalf!

Here are some things you can do to protect your faith while waiting on the Lord:

• Keep Practicing Your Spiritual Disciplines Intentionally and with Joy

• Rehearse the Word of God to Yourself

• Surround Yourself with Other Encouraging Believers

• Stop Complaining and Speaking Negatively

• Create Atmospheres of Worship and Praise to the Lord

Waiting well requires intentionality and guidelines. Set guidelines for yourself that can help prevent you from jeopardizing your waiting season with ungodly speech or conduct! Remember, God is always watching and listening. He cares about how you wait for what you’re praying for. 

7. Remember that He Will Never Disappoint You 

God will NEVER disappoint you! I firmly believe that when we face disappointment and associate it with God’s failure to please us, it’s because we don’t understand His will and ways. When God says no, there’s always a reason for it, and you may never know why until you get to Heaven. God may never reveal His reasoning to you, but that doesn’t mean His reasons are wrong. Often, God will allow us to face rejection, refusals, and lost opportunities for our protection and growth. Perhaps the very thing you’ve prayed for could lead to your demise. 

“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken and will He not make it good and fulfill it?” – Numbers 23:19 AMP

God doesn’t lie. What He said, He will do! He’s so faithful! If we put our trust in God’s word, disappointment can’t settle in our hearts!

Prayer

If you are feeling overwhelmingly disappointed and discouraged because your prayer hasn’t been answered yet, I’d like for you to pray two scriptures:

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart.” – Psalm 37:4 AMPC

Prayer on Psalm 37:4 – God as I delight myself in you, change my heart’s desires. Allow every desire and secret petition to align with your heart for me, so that I may be able to experience the tangible manifestation of your will for my life!

“For surely there is a hereafter, And your hope will not be cut off.” – Proverbs 23:18 NKJV

Prayer on Proverbs 23:18 – Lord, help me to make it to the hereafter. May I gladly walk into the future you’ve promised me. May none of my hopes, dreams, and expectations be cut off! Father, satisfy me early with your goodness. No more delay!

The only way for you to take the Antidote to Discouragement is in partnership with Prayer. Above all else, PRAY! No prayer will fall to the ground. God hears, He knows, and He has inclined His ears to your cry. Surely, He is hastening to perform that which you’ve prayed!