Encourage Yourself in the Lord
“And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:6).
We all need encouragement from time to time. All of us at some time or other face a crisis when everything seems to fall apart. There are times of discouragement, when things go wrong even when we are trying to do the right thing. At such times, people may even say, “That’s what you get for having faith without common sense.” There are times of uncertainty, when you don’t know how things are going to turn out. There are times of stress, when our load seems heavier than we can bear. The task is more than we can handle. There can also be times of fear when our very sense of security is threatened. In all of those kinds of situations we need to be encouraged in the Lord.
There’s no doubt that we all face difficult seasons in life regardless of your race or status in society. The key to victory during these times is to stay encouraged. Although it’s important to be lifted up by our friends or loved ones, the best way to stay encouraged is to encourage yourself in the Lord. In a day and age when people are very critical and cynical about life, we need to be just the opposite and become our own greatest encourager.
One of the best examples of this is David. Suddenly, David faced one of the darkest hours of his life. Despite his gravest challenge, 1 Samuel 30:6 says, “David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” He faced many oppositions, disappointments, and set- backs. But the key to David’s success is found in the fact that despite the negative circumstances that surrounded him, he drew his strength from the Lord reminding himself of God’s faithfulness throughout his life.
One of the greatest ways to encourage yourself is to remember what the Lord has already done for you. No one else can truly know what the Lord has done for you like yourself! Remember how he provided for you, cared for you when no one else was around, lifted you up in lonely times, opened doors of opportunity, and blessed you beyond your deserving it? Focus your mind and heart on what the Lord has done for you. Then watch your faith increase, and you’ll have more strength, confidence, and joy to receive greater things that He has in store for you. Continue living for God and pursuing what He has ordained for your life. When you encourage yourself in the Lord, what seems like a test or disappointment today will be a blessing in disguise waiting to manifest in your future.
- Pastor John Barton