Discouragement: When The Going Gets Tough

Therefore, say to the Israelites:  'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them . . . I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD."
Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country." But Moses said to the LORD, "If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips."
Exodus 6:6-12.


When we find ourselves in the fiery furnace of long afflictions, our hearts become discouraged. Even a word of prophecy or an assurance from God doesn't seem to settle in our spirit. When the going gets tough, it is easy for discouragement to set in.

That was the case with the Israelites. Things had gotten really bad and they watched their slave masters mercilessly whipping their leaders with lashes at the instigation of Pharaoh. They had had it and they wanted no more reminders of what God was going to do for them. They told Moses that they were tired of the promises. They would not listen to him.

Moses was also discouraged, he was hesitant to go before Pharaoh with one more instruction from Yahweh that he should let His people go. He was blunt with God, "If the Israelites would not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?"
That was not an easy place to be as a leader. And it is not an easy place to be for any Believer.

But God was about to show His mighty power in the midst of the extreme discouragement.
Are you discouraged? Are you tired of hearing the repeated promises of God? Can I encourage you to hold on just a little bit longer?  In the midst of your discouragement, God is about to move! The chains are about to be broken. In an instant, God can catapult you to new heights and your discouragement will turn into a powerful song and testimony to the glory of God.
Look ahead with confidence. Our God is more than able.

Prayer: LORD, help me to hold on even in the midst of discouragement. Help me not to focus on my problems but to focus on how mighty you are. Amen