41-A-Step-Of-Faith-Encouragement

Discouragement can hinder us from taking steps of faith and accomplishing our goals. It can come from various sources, both external and internal. To combat discouragement, we need to protect our minds and seek encouragement from others. The Bible is filled with examples of people who displayed courage in the face of discouragement. When faced with discouragement, we should seek out people or groups that will encourage us. Examples from the Bible include Peter and John seeking encouragement from their group, Mary seeking support from Elizabeth, and Daniel seeking help from his friends. To learn more, visit gregalabi.com and listen to the podcasts. Hello and welcome to Join This Chariot for a 5-Minute Bible Study. This episode 41 on A Step of Faith is titled, Encouragement. My name is Greg Alabi and I'm inviting you to come let us study the Bible together. Nothing kills the spirit like discouragement. Discouragement can make you doubt yourself when you want to take a step of faith to accomplish anything. Discouragement can make you lose your faith, your hope and your confidence. Some people have either quit entirely or postponed their plans because they were discouraged. Discouragement can come from people, events, what we hear, what we see, the situation we find ourselves or even from within us in the form of lack of self-confidence, past failures, lack of needed or adequate resources or from competitors around. We start feeling like David versus Goliath. Because we feel like grasshopper before the giants, we could become discouraged. Dear friends, there are way more than enough reasons and sources for discouragement out there in the world and if we do not protect our minds from all those negative thoughts and negative spirits, the strongest of us could be discouraged to the point where we either give up or postpone our plans or our dreams. When a respected person or respectable person that we look up to or people close to us discourage us, our confidence can be badly affected. All they need to say or do is to cast doubt or be passive about our dreams. Then all kinds of negative thoughts start making their way to our minds to discourage us. The strongest of us need to know how to fight back and fight discouragement. No wonder the entire Bible is filled with God encouraging individuals and groups of people to be courageous. It took courage for Noah to build the ark, for Abraham to relocate to the promised land, for Jacob to leave the house of Laban, for Moses to confidently confront Pharaoh. It took God to tell Joshua in chapter 1 verse 9, have I not commanded you, be strong and of good courage. It took courage for prophets of old to rebuke kings and people in authority. These days some leaders only rebuke their poor followers while they respect and speak nicely to the rich ones. When it was God himself that told men like Cain and Hezekiah that it was all over, it took courage for them to challenge God himself and say no and they obtained mercy. It took courage for Nehemiah to build the walls of Jerusalem, David before Goliath, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refusing to bow to the golden image, Mordecai refusing to bow to Haman. It took courage for Peter to ask the authorities in Acts chapter 4 verse 19 to 20 if it was right to obey them or God, saying he cannot but preach the gospel. Question then is, if you want to take a step of faith and you are faced with discouragement, what should you do? Now, let us learn one valuable lesson here. My advice would be, go look for another person or group of people or places or things that will encourage you. For example, Acts chapter 4 verse 15 to 24, the authorities try to discourage Peter and John from preaching. Verse 23, in the Good News Bible says, as soon as Peter and John were set free, they returned to their group and told them what the chief priests and the elders had said. Luke chapter 1 verse 31 contains another valuable example. Angel Gabriel told Mary she would become pregnant and give birth to Jesus. Verse 34, she was in doubt and said, impossible, that cannot happen because I am not married. When she was pregnant, in verse 39 to 44, she went seeking for Elizabeth who was older and going through her own experience too. When both women met up, the babies in their wombs leaped for joy. It was like saying the dream is alive. Another example is in Daniel chapter 2. Daniel needed to recollect and interpret the dream of the king or otherwise they will all be killed. Verse 17 to 19 says, he went looking for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They prayed together and God revealed everything to them. I invite you to please visit our website gregalabee.com, look for the podcasts, spend some time to listen to the previous and current messages. You will richly be blessed. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you.