Encourage Yourself in the Lord
Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 30:6
“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.”
Encourage Yourself in the Lord
How does one encourage oneself in the Lord? Recount the Lord’s goodness to you in the past. When does one need to encourage oneself in the Lord? In times of trouble or great distress or discouragement. What happens when we encourage ourselves in the Lord? He turns the situation around and brings victory out of failure and hope out of hopelessness.
The Bible describes David as being in a state of great distress. His friends and followers were filled with grief and speaking of stoning him because they blamed him for their problems and losses. But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
He remembered all the goodness of the Lord to him in the past although he was currently in great distress. After his courage was restored, he took counsel from the Lord and pursued and overtook his enemies, retrieving all that had been stolen from him.
Spend time to encourage yourself in the Lord. Enumerate ten great things He has done for you in the past and thank him for doing them for you. Count your blessings. You are alive, you can read, you have the means of grace and the hope of glory. God is on your side. No one can be successful against you.
You will be surprised at how blessed you are, what God has done for you, what He is doing for you now, and what He will yet do. Thank God again for your blessings and rejoice.
Ask God to give you the grace and wisdom to pursue and overtake your enemies. As you reflect on whatever has stolen your joy, ask Him for victory and restoration of joy and confidence in the name of Jesus. Be encouraged because God loves you. It is quite easy to take the love of the Lord for granted, to never meditate and think on it regularly. We spend time in prayer, praise, and in studying the Word, but how often do we take time to contemplate the love of our Lord Jesus for us?
We were all, as it were, on the auction block. We were totally bound and owned by sin. Satan was ready to auction us off to the highest bidder. At that moment, our Lord Jesus stepped in and said He would pay the price to set us free. He did not use money, but paid the ultimate price with His life. He was put on Satan’s auction block in our place and was sold by the devil to be tortured and to suffer a cursed death on the cross. He descended in death to the grave for all of us. Thank God, He arose from death for us on the third day and is now set forever at the right hand of God, the Father. Even there He, “maketh intercessions for us,” Romans 8:34. Oh how He loves us!
Having loved His own, He loves them to the end, John 13:1.
Let us take time today to thank Jesus for His love for us and be encouraged. Psalm 23:6 says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” The ministrations of goodness and mercy follow the one who follows the Lord Jesus as his Shepherd all the days of his life, as affirmed in the above passage.
The psalmist confidently said, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” He could say this because he had made up his mind that the Lord was his permanent shepherd and he would follow wherever the Lord led. Do you have the same confidence in the leadership of the Lord? Be encouraged. He loves you and He will lead and love you to the end.
Prayer Points:
Pray for strength and commitment to the Lord Jesus that will overcome your changeable human nature and keep you encouraged. May you receive a constant and reassuring manifestation of goodness and mercy all the days of your life. Be so encouraged that you will become an encourager in your generation and beyond, in Jesus’ name.
