Daily Devotion March 9--Discouragement

March 9

Exodus 6:9
And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.

Sometimes I just feel discouraged.  There can be no particular reason or maybe a culmination of a multitude of reasons.  We know when we look to the world and compare ourselves to others, it is easy for us to feel we fall short.  We don't wear the right size or have the right clothes, live in the right house or drive the right car.  Social media has made this even worse because people don't post the burned meals, the cluttered house or the disobedient children.  We may feel just like the Israelites and have "anguish of spirit."

Strong defines these words as an impatience of the spirit or shortness of the spirit or mind.  A synonym for discouragement is dispiritedness (to deprive of morale.)  That is how the Israelites felt.  And that is how we often feel.  Our spirit is weak, we feel no sense of strength and often we just want to give up.

As I was thinking about that sense of discouragement, lines from different  songs came to mind:  "Why should I be discouraged...His eye is on the sparrow and I now He watches me"; "I'm not discouraged,  I'm heavy bound"; "When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost..."  Each of these songs carry with it an opposite thought--the thought that God is watching us, we have a home in Heaven and we  need to count our many blessings.

The Israelites were, unfortunately, quick to forget what God had done for them time after time.  We, too, often forget what God has done for us.  We forget that He loves us so much He died for us.  We forget that He made us just the way He wants us to be.  We forget that He is preparing something so much better for us.  We forget that He wants us to have an abundant life--NOW.

We need to remind ourselves of these things.  If we spend time in His Word and in prayer talking with Him, then that discouragement won't last very long.  We need to turn our thoughts to Him and He will turn our thoughts away from being discouraged.

As we go through this day, let us remember that when we feel discouraged, God can turn that around!