Discouragement Multiplies

It’s been a year since the COVID pandemic has hit our world, so it’s a good time to look back, take stock, sit with Jesus and ask where he’d like you to grow, to focus or to challenge yourself in the season that is coming beyond COVID. 

For me, I’ve been in a long season of weariness. 

Leading during a pandemic has been hard.

A shaky economy, issues of racial equity, and political turmoil proved to be more difficult than any year I have ever lived through.

All of it has brought about feelings of failure. Like I didn’t do something right. And the truth is, of course there are some things I didn’t do right. Many things, actually.

How do you spell discouragement? 

Hope deferred. 

Loss. 

Things stolen. 

Self-blame. 

Failure.

If I have learned anything this past year, it is this, Discouragement multiplies. It grows like yeast. It bleeds over.  Unchecked, it can affect every area of our lives.

Feeling discouraged can take a person to the mat with God. Questions rise: “Why didn’t you….?” 

I am reminded yet again that God is the God of all HOPE. He is not discouraged, and he doesn’t want us to be either.

There is mercy for all of us in our weakness. There are times when we can’t pull ourselves up from a chair or pull ourselves up from doubt or hopelessness. But God can.

The other day I was feeling VERY discouraged and crying out to the God I love whom I was currently mad at.

I was driving in my car listening to a podcast and they started discussing Lamentations 3:22-23 

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

My mind centered in on these words, “his mercies never come to an end”. 

And at once, my heart began praying, even before my mind could catch up, Lord, I need your mercies, Lord I need your mercies.

It was a direct intervention, even in my lowest place – crying out to Him – asking for understanding – begging for His help which seems so slow to come sometimes – God was reminding there is mercy for me.

There is mercy for all of us. Discouragement may have piled on us like dead weight sitting on our chest. But, good news, “his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning."

Lead us, Lord, to the rock that is higher than we are. 

Bring us out of our season of discouragement. Speak Your life into our weary hearts. 

We break agreement with discouragement and agree with the truth that You are the God of all HOPE. 

We too have hope; I too have hope, because of You.