Overcome Discouragement
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." - Deuteronomy 31:6
Rebuilding is never easy. It takes courage, determination, and faith. And any time you try to rise up and take back what was lost, there will always be opposition. For the people of God in Nehemiah’s time, that opposition came first as psychological warfare.
Before their enemies tried to stop them physically, they came for their minds. The opposition had no legal authority to prevent the rebuilding of Jerusalem, so instead, they used intimidation, insults, and doubt. They mocked the effort, questioned their strength, and belittled their ability to rebuild. They knew that if they could make God’s people give up in their minds, they would never have to fight them on the battlefield.
And that is exactly how the enemy works today. The first attack is always against your mind. The enemy whispers lies, plants seeds of doubt, and does everything possible to convince you that what God has called you to do is impossible. He will tell you that you are not strong enough, smart enough, or capable enough. He will try to make you question whether God really meant what He said.
This is why discouragement is such a dangerous weapon. It does not need physical force to be effective. It just needs you to believe the lie that you cannot do what God has already said you can do. If the enemy can make you quit before you even start, then he has already won.
But Nehemiah did not allow the insults and ridicule to stop the work. He rejected the enemy’s taunts and refused to let fear take root. Instead, he reminded the people of who they were and, more importantly, who their God was. That is the key to overcoming discouragement. You do not fight it with feelings, you fight it with truth. You remind yourself that God is with you, that He has called you, and that He will equip you for everything He has asked you to do.
So do not let fear win. Do not let discouragement steal what God has promised. When the enemy comes for your mind, stand firm in the truth. If God has said it, it is already done. Keep building. Keep moving forward. And do not let anything or anyone convince you otherwise.
Rebuilding is never easy. It takes courage, determination, and faith. And any time you try to rise up and take back what was lost, there will always be opposition. For the people of God in Nehemiah’s time, that opposition came first as psychological warfare.
Before their enemies tried to stop them physically, they came for their minds. The opposition had no legal authority to prevent the rebuilding of Jerusalem, so instead, they used intimidation, insults, and doubt. They mocked the effort, questioned their strength, and belittled their ability to rebuild. They knew that if they could make God’s people give up in their minds, they would never have to fight them on the battlefield.
And that is exactly how the enemy works today. The first attack is always against your mind. The enemy whispers lies, plants seeds of doubt, and does everything possible to convince you that what God has called you to do is impossible. He will tell you that you are not strong enough, smart enough, or capable enough. He will try to make you question whether God really meant what He said.
This is why discouragement is such a dangerous weapon. It does not need physical force to be effective. It just needs you to believe the lie that you cannot do what God has already said you can do. If the enemy can make you quit before you even start, then he has already won.
But Nehemiah did not allow the insults and ridicule to stop the work. He rejected the enemy’s taunts and refused to let fear take root. Instead, he reminded the people of who they were and, more importantly, who their God was. That is the key to overcoming discouragement. You do not fight it with feelings, you fight it with truth. You remind yourself that God is with you, that He has called you, and that He will equip you for everything He has asked you to do.
So do not let fear win. Do not let discouragement steal what God has promised. When the enemy comes for your mind, stand firm in the truth. If God has said it, it is already done. Keep building. Keep moving forward. And do not let anything or anyone convince you otherwise.
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