How to overcome discouragement in the bible

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You may have heard of the famous passage that portrays discouragement in the bible, the weakness and spiritual discouragement that caused Elijah to enter a cave.

If Jesus brought you to this study, without a doubt you have already passed, will pass in the future or who knows you are going through a weakness, or a certain spiritual discouragement …

How to overcome discouragement in the bible

By the end of this study, we believe that you will feel lighter after this brief and necessary reading.

Overcome Difficulties

Read with me what the passage from 1 Kings chapter 19 says from verse 1:

”Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he had killed all those prophets with the sword.
So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say to him, “May the gods punish me severely, if tomorrow at this time I do not do with your life as you did with theirs.”
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. In Beersheba of Judah, he left his servant” ( 1 Kings 19:1-3 )

Symptoms that precede Spiritual Discouragement

Note that Elijah was a prophet 100% backed by God, in no biblical passage do we read that the Most High let the word of the prophet Elijah fall to the ground.

Although in those years there were many false prophets, Elijah was not corrupted at any time, he is even today a great example of an upright servant of the Most High.

However, Elijah’s good acts did not exempt him from Satan’s attacks and huge battles in the bad days of his life.

Chapter 19 of 1 Kings portrays the moment when Elijah recognized his smallness, forgetting the greatness of his God who once made great signs through him and his ancestors.

Do you know what we learned from this? It’s nothing about me, it’s ALL about Him!

He who? The great I AM, the lord of armies, the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end, the eternal prince of peace!

Writing this text I found myself asking God:

“- Father, what was the gap and what were the notorious symptoms that show that the prophet Elijah suffered a spiritual attack that would result in the greatest discouragement of his life?”

And God answered me the following: “- Son, there were 2 symptoms, being; FEAR and ESCAPE, let’s talk more about it below?”

Elijah’s FEAR and ESCAPE

The verses we have just read say in good and clear words that Elijah was AFRAID and if that wasn’t enough he RAN AWAY.

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And the truth is that even today many Christians have the same symptom, they don’t bother to scold them and then they fall into an enormous spiritual weakness and an inexplicable discouragement.

Understand that when you approach God and seek to follow his principles and commandments of LOVE, it is obvious that the enemy is furious and at the first opportunity will try to attack you.

We have to stop thinking that God is an amulet that is always aimed at diverting us from problems in life.

The great fact is that if you are not on God’s side, the storm turns, and if you become an ideal disciple of Christ, the storm tends to come even stronger.

The difference is only in how you face the storm because without God you will face it with your human strength (if you don’t fear and run away) and with God, you will face it with His help, direction, and strength.

I once heard a great man of God mentions the following revelation:

“The enemy has no power against you except what you give him…”

That’s exactly what happened to Elijah, the enemy launched an evil dart, but instead of Elijah continuing to BELIEVER AND FULL OF FAITH he FEARED AND RUN AWAY.

For the love of the Father let me be a prophet over your life:

“Beloved, stop fearing what hasn’t even come yet, a dog that barks a lot and doesn’t bite!
No more living running away from intrigue, relationships, and problems, enough!
God is with you and is whispering softly in your ear: DO NOT FEAR .”

What does the bible say we should do in the midst of Spiritual Discouragement?

Let’s continue reading 1 Kings 19, but now from verse 8:

”So he got up, ate, and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
There he entered a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ( 1 Kings 19:8,9 )”

The Lord had ordered Elijah to go to the mountain of God, but getting there Elijah entered a cave so that no one could see him because he was fleeing from the threat of  Jezebel.

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Elias was in a moment of loneliness and sadness, in fact, he was suffering from self-pity.

The prophet thought he was alone and everyone was against him. Then the Lord asked Elijah twice, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (verses 9 and 13).

And likewise, today when you enter a ‘spiritual cave’. God asks you “What are you doing here?”.

Let’s reflect on the orders that God gave to Elijah and know what to do when we are spiritually discouraged :

“And God said to him, Go out, and stand on this mountain before the Lord ” ( 1 Kings 19:11 )

1. Exit the cave

The first order that God gives to Elijah is to leave the cave because there was not the place that God wanted him to be.

The cave is a place of fear and cowardice and God does not want his servants hidden but willing to fight.

How many times in our lives, in the midst of problems, instead of moving forward, we choose to retreat and hide?

That is not the role of a servant of God  “For God has not given us a spirit of FEAR, but of power, of love and of a sound mind”  ( 2 Timothy 1:7 ).

Get up and leave this cave already. You were called to make a difference, so get on with this fight!

The Lord has his eyes fixed on you, saying: ‘Son, go in this strength of yours, and you will save your house from the hands of your enemies; Have I not sent you?’

2. Climb the mountain

In the presence of God is the place where we should be, because outside the presence of God, there is no happiness or peace.

Elijah had gone there to go up the mountain and meet the Father so that he couldn’t get discouraged.

The mountain is the place to experience God. You can make your home, your church, or any place a place of intimacy with God ( Matthew 6: 6 ).

When you feel that you no longer have the strength to fight and problems continue to multiply, remember that God is in heaven readily available to extend his hand.

Trust in the power of the Father, in the goodness of the Creator of all things. He has the ability to give you the boost you need to keep going.

You just need to resort to prayer (climbing the mountain) for him to hear your prayers.

Elijah passed through the test of wind, earthquake, and fire.

Note with me what is recorded below:

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“And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake; also the Lord was not in the earthquake;
And after the earthquake a fire; but neither was the Lord in the fire; and after the fire a still, small voice.
And it came to pass, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his cloak, and went out, and stood at the entrance of the cave.” ( 1 Kings 19:11-13 )

The Bible tells us that there came a  ‘strong wind’, then an  ‘earthquake’, then came  ‘fire’  and the Lord was not in any of them, but when a  ‘still small voice’  [a light breeze] came God spoke with Elijah.

Sometimes we want to have an experience with God that is too supernatural and mystical, but what God wants is to have a gentle and gentle relationship with us.

Don’t look for God in big things, look for him in small things and you will find him.

Beloved brother, don’t wait for thunder to fall from the sky, a great physical move to hear the voice of God. He talks softly to you every moment and you just ignore him.

God is with you. Don’t let Spiritual Discouragement stop you! 

Elijah told God that he was alone, that’s why he was in the cave and the Lord replied that he was not alone because God had saved seven thousand people who did not bend their knees or kiss the idol, Baal.

“I also let seven thousand remain in Israel: all the knees that had not bowed to Baal, and all the mouths that had not kissed him. ( 1 Kings 19:18 )” 

You are not alone!

As much as we see an extremely corrupted world, we need to believe in the verse that says that “So, even now, in this day and age, a remnant survives according to the election of grace.”  ( Romans 11.5 ).

So even when facing crises, don’t hide and cocoon yourself in a cave. On the contrary, get out of it and go up to the mountain of God.

Be a prophet and help the Lord to raise more chosen ones, you will not be alone because Jesus himself will walk with you ( Matthew 28.20 ) and will raise many others ( Matthew 19.29 ).