Skip to main content

Facing Discouragement!!!

Many of us, such as myself, have found at one time or another that kingdom work can be challenging. We can give everything we have to God's service and come away exhausted. That is what happened to Elijah. God used Elijah to call down fire from heaven in a spectacular display of divine power. But Elijah's exhilaration was soon replaced by strenuous work followed by death threats, causing him to flee for his life. Elijah found himself alone, exhausted, and discouraged.

"And he said, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life." 1 Kings 19:14.

God then comes to Elijah again. This time, He came not in a fire or in a loud, spectacular way, but in a still, small voice. God's servant was tired, and God brought him comfort. Elijah's focus had shifted from God to God's enemies. Elijah had allowed his circumstances to overwhelm him, leaving him disoriented to God and feeling alone. So God encouraged him. God provided Elisha for him as a helper, friend, and companion. God removed Elijah from the activity for a time, so that he could rest and spend time with God. When the nation next saw him, he was rejuvenated and refocused on God and His assignment.

If we find ourselves overwhelmed by kingdom work so that our focus is no longer on God but on all that there is to do, we need to let Him comfort us. Listen to His gentle voice. He will encourage us and provide us exactly what we need to prepare us for what is coming next. If He needs to remove us from our work for a time, He will. He may place a friend or a co-laborer beside us to help us carry the load. God knows exactly how to encourage us. We need to let Him do so.

May God Richly Bless You Today!! H Trent!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Thinking About Calling Down Fire!?!

James and John were refered to as "the Sons of Thunder" in the Bible. When they discovered a Samaritan village that would not receive Jesus, they were fully prepared to call down fire to consume the entire community. "And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?" Luke 9:54. Maybe they felt that through such a show of power, the gospel message might be enhanced. The two brothers were willing to sacrifice the lives of the village in order to further the cause of the gospel. However, Jesus rebuked them! Later, the apostles heard that Samaria had responded to the gospel. Guess who was commissioned to go and help them receive the Holy Spirit? None other but Peter and John! It was God's purpose that the people not be destroyed but saved! God chose not to rain down fire on the village, but to shower it with His Holy Spirit! I wonder what w...

It Is Our Life!!!

One of the things that I find puzzling and troubling today is that so many of us Christians try to live the Christian life in this world today, without reading our Bibles! Many of us will occasionally give it a sporadic look, seeking a pithy thought to help us get through our day. This is sad. The Word of God is not merely a source of helpful suggestions, preventative warnings, or even inspirational thoughts . The Word of God is life itself! But, oh how foolish that many of us are, having the words of life right at our fingertips, and still not bothering to make time to sit down and go through it's pages. "For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess." Deuteronomy 32:47. God gathered the nation of Israel at the edge of the Promised Land to review their pilgrimage with Him. They had just spent 40 years wandering the desert, on a journey that should have...

Sermon For Sunday!!!

Once again it is Sunday! I am posting a sermon I preached, hoping that in anyway, it would speak to those of you who are following these posts. May God be with you as you continue on your walk with Him. And, as always, may God richly bless you today!! H Trent! “The Test for False Prophets.” Scripture: 2 Peter 2. Introduction: You know, there are a lot of things that we see and hear these days on our radios and through our televisions, even from those around us. From the programs we watch and listen to, like reality shows, the news, even movies. It can sometimes be difficult for us to determine if what we are filling ourselves up with contains any truth or not. Sadly this is also the same theme for those of us in the church. I mean, how do we know what is being taught to us is the truth, and how do we know that the one's doing the teaching are themselves, true? Pretty big question isn’t it? We need ministers that live according to the Word that they are entrusted to teaching. We ...