Encouragement for Believers

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God wants to encourage every one of His children; He is the God of encouragement. He is trying to teach us perseverance: He wants us to continue through our trials and not grow weary.

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

(Galatians 6:9 King James Version)

Many of His children find themselves in different situations, but God is there with them in it.

He wants to get behind you and spur you unto great things. He wants you to be of a positive mindset and not be downcast. We are not to focus on our circumstances but Him, because “we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

(2 Corinthian 4:17-18)

Sometimes we need to be more encouraging of our brothers and sisters and not tear them down. The enemy uses people to pull down and discourage the Christian. This is the devil’s work; do not be part of it.

It is very important to listen to God and obey. If we listen to others or our circumstances, we will be led by that. But God, wants us to be led by Him:

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”

(Romans 8:14)

Some Christians want God to encourage them, but they won’t walk in obedience. It does not work like that: He will encourage those who are walking in His direction, and those that aren’t, He will warn!

God will allow our faith to be challenged and tried in the fire of affliction but He wants us to remain strong.

The enemy will try to hit you with frustration, discouragement, distraction, and confusion to get you to lose sight of what God has shown you. It’s all about staying focused and not taking your eyes off Him:

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”

(Hebrews 12:2-3)

You have to keep your eyes on Jesus and be very determined. God is leading us somewhere. It can be very exciting to serve God. He wants to do things in and through us, but we need to get over our little fears, worries, and anxieties, and let God do what He wants to do. We need to stop being negative and stop trying to figure everything out and trust Him with the future.

There will be plenty of opportunities to quit and give up. He wants us to become battle-hardened warriors and make it to heaven. Don’t throw in the towel; God doesn’t want you to.

“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”

(2 Timothy 2:3)

“Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”

(1 Timothy 4:16)

Sometimes we tend to get discouraged when we are chastened of the heavenly Father, but we don’t need to be: it’s only God bringing us into line a little bit.

“And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.”

(Hebrew 12:5-13)

We need to discern the difference between God chastening us and the Devil attacking us, or we won’t be able to war effectively.

Sometimes the Devil’s attacks come through wrong thoughts or words from people or negative situations that can trigger us. Sometimes It can be very subtle. Sometimes God warns you ahead of time and you can sense it coming.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.

Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

(1 Peter 5:8-9)

We must remember the Christian life is spiritual warfare, and we must be of such a mindset to make it. If you listen to the devil this will increase to hopelessness and despair.

Some of you are locked in a dungeon of despair because have taken a wrong turn and wandered off the true path. You need to repent, call out to God for forgiveness and find the right path again; that is the true path that leads to God.

Satan blinds people’s hearts through his attacks and lies and Christians who were once enlightened can become blind again:

“But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”

(2 Peter 1:9)

Sometimes you can come under a bombardment of thoughts from every side. This is why it is important to stay close to God and only believe what He says and expose the lies of the enemy. This provides an anchor for the human soul. We must be people of truth:

“Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.”

(Ephesians 6:14)

Discouragement comes from the devil’s lies so we must counteract with the truth. We also need the shield of faith:

“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

(Ephesians 6:16)

A tactic is to get us to focus on the circumstances. The Devil can use circumstances to try to convince us that what God has spoken is not the truth, but as people of faith, we focus on the Lord Jesus Christ and what God says in His word. Remember circumstances are not necessarily spiritual truth. Sometimes circumstances line up with truth, sometimes they do not. We do not learn spiritual truth by focusing on circumstances but by meditating in God’s word and listening to the Holy Spirit.