Worthy Devotions – Daily Christian Devotion » Discouragement

Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

The United States has entered a new season of political change. Since the election I’ve received several emails from political colleagues of mine discussing the impact of this new climate upon issues which strike at our core as believers, such as abortion, Israel, and conservative values in general.

All of this has reminded me of William Wilberforce and his campaign against the British Parliament to abolish slavery. During the course of his intense efforts, Wilberforce came to a desperate place of discouragement, feeling he had absolutely no more strength to continue. In this condition he was about to give up, when his elderly friend, John Wesley, lying on his deathbed, was informed of his friend William’s distress. Wesley requested pen and paper, and with a quivering hand, wrote these words,

“Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them stronger than God? Oh be not weary of well-doing! Go on, in the name of God and in the power of his might, till even American slavery shall vanish away before it.”

John Wesley died six days later, but William Wilberforce fought for forty-five more years, and in 1833, three days before his own death, witnessed the abolition of slavery in Britain.

Do not grow weary in well-doing, for we can still triumph! It’s exactly when everything looks hopeless that our God has opportunity to display His awesome power. Even the great men that changed history needed a word of encouragement now and then – so be encouraged, and be an encourager! You never know when you may enable another saint to continue pressing on, or how that may change the world!

Proverbs 15:23 A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!

A modern parable has been written about the tools of the enemy that I believe we can really learn from.

“Some time ago, an advertisement appeared in which the devil was putting all his tools up for sale. On the day of public inspection, each one of his tools was marked with its selling price: Hatred, Envy, Jealousy, Doubt, Lying, Pride, and so on, were each on the block. Set apart, however, from all the rest of the pile, was a harmless-looking tool, well-worn, but priced very high — it was discouragement!

Someone asked the devil, ‘why is that one priced so high?’ He replied, ‘Ah, that one is more useful to me than all the rest. With it I can pry open a man’s heart and enter, when I cannot get near him with any other tools. Once inside, I can lead him any way I choose. The tool is very worn because I use it on almost everyone, since few people know it belongs to me.’”

The enemy loves to sow discouragement — but believers have a tool much more powerful — encouragement! We can speak a word into the lives of those who desperately need to hear it: to the college student adjusting to his new environment; to the missionary who may feel alone in the harvest field; to the disillusioned newlywed young couple; to the forgotten servants of God who labor in an obscure and difficult ministry; to the orphans and the widows; to all those who need to hear a word in due season!

We have the power in our lips to rekindle a discouraged soul. Let’s inspire one another with words of encouragement! It costs nothing, and reaps an eternal reward…”encourage one another daily, as you see the Day draw near. [Hebrews 10:25]