Get Encouraged and Stay Encouraged!Sample

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE ENCOURAGED

There’s a story in the Bible that shows us just how powerful encouragement is. It’s a story about David in 1 Samuel 30. He and his mighty men were coming home to their village, Ziklag, and came upon a horrific scene: they found their homes burned and their wives, children, and loved ones gone — taken captive by their enemies.

The Bible says that when these powerful men saw what had happened, there were so upset, distraught and discouraged that they cried until they could cry no more. That’s a lot of crying! I can’t even imagine their sense of overwhelming, devastating loss and fear for their loved ones.

And then, unbelievably, they were so upset that they planned to kill David! These were the guys who went through thick and thin with him, and now they were turning on him. Poor David. His house has been burned too — his family and goods were stolen, he was distraught over his loved ones, and then the guys he expected to have his back wanted to kill him!

Talk about potential for discouragement. But what did David do? He called for the ephod, and the Bible says that in the midst of this crushing pressure and devastation, “he encouraged himself in the Lord.”

How did he do that? Well, David was in the habit of worshiping God. Back when he was just a lowly shepherd, he established a lifestyle of worship, listening for God's voice, doing things that put him in a place of encouragement. It stood him in good stead when he needed it most.

In the midst of all this trouble and danger, he sought the Lord, who told him to pursue the enemy. And the same guys who wanted to kill him just a few verses before, go with him! How amazing is that? Can it be that one person getting encouraged in the midst of trouble can rally a whole group of people to follow God and come out with the victory? Apparently so. Verses 17-19 tell us that they went and got everything back, plus the spoils (sounds like God).

Being encouraged can mean the difference between life and death. It can mean the difference between recovering all or losing it all. And it only takes one person. Why not you?