On a walk through a park, a man stopped to watch a “T-ball” baseball game being played by two teams of young boys. The air was filled with excitement as the coaches, parents and players from both teams shouted encouragement to each other.
“What’s the score,” the man asked an animated young player, as he sat down behind the team bench on the first-base side of the ball diamond.
Without hesitation, his voice tinged with anticipation and excitement, the little ball player turned to him grinning, “We’re behind fourteen to nothing!”
“Really?” the man answered in surprise. “Wow! You sure don’t look very discouraged.”
The little boy seemed puzzled by that comment. “Discouraged?” he said questioningly. “Why should we be discouraged? We haven’t batted yet!”
Discouragement is a weapon Satan frequently seems to wield against the people of God. But discouragement generally is the fruit produced from our unbelief in the goodness of God and His desire for our greatest joy and blessing.
It was so with the children of Israel who had been delivered from the awful bondage and sorrow of Pharaoh’s Egypt. After seeing the mighty arm of the Lord extended on their behalf in judgment on the Egyptians, protecting them through the Red Sea and then tenderly caring for their every need, they still complain in unbelief.
This spirit of unbelief in Jehovah’s love and goodness caused them to commit a terrible sin. “The people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread” (Num. 21:55And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. (Numbers 21:5)).
Instead of being thankful for their deliverance from the bondage of Egypt, they accuse the Lord and His servant Moses of bringing them into the wilderness to die! Further, they despised God’s gracious provision for them of bread from heaven.
On the other hand, we see the opposite spirit with dear Nehemiah. Though deeply feeling the condition of the people of God in his day, dear Nehemiah did not give in to discouragement. He wept, fasted and prayed, but he did not become discouraged.
When the Lord allowed him to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city, his enthusiasm and trust in the Lord are evidenced by his words to the elders: “Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me” (Neh. 2:17-1817Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. 18Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work. (Nehemiah 2:17‑18)). The rulers’ answer shows the effect of Nehemiah’s encouragement: “They said, Let us rise up and build.” Let us, too, be encouragers!
Ed.