Recently I suffered a bit of a setback in my battle with these two auto-immune diseases. I have been trying to reduce one of my medications (the one that has the most long-term side effects). I thought I was having some success, less medication, no sign of the PMR or GCA. Then one morning, the symptoms returned in the form of a lot of pain.
I always have fatigue (which can be caused by the diseases, the medications, or the long-term effects of the virus I had a while back). I try to ignore the fatigue. When the pain returned, however, I knew my plan to get off the meds was not working. It was certainly discouraging. But then discouragement is often part of life. And it is certainly a tactic of the enemy of our soul.
When the Jews returned from captivity in Babylon after 70 years, Ezra energized the people to begin to rebuild the temple. The inhabitants of the land did everything they could to discourage them. “Then the people who were already in the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build.” [Ezra 4:4 HCSB]
Later when Nehemiah came to Jerusalem and set to rebuild the wall to protect the city, he experienced the same thing. “For they were all trying to intimidate us, saying, ‘They will become discouraged in the work, and it will never be finished.’” [Nehemiah 6:9 HCSB]
If the enemy can keep us in a state of discouragement, he knows the work will not get done. It is difficult to walk worthy of the calling of the LORD in good times, it is next to impossible to do it when we are beat down with discouragement.
But there is help. Paul reminded the Thessalonian church to “comfort the discouraged” in 1Thessalonians 5:14.
God has provided a comfort and as believers we are to bring that comfort to those who are beaten down by the setbacks of life.
Today: Thank you LORD for Your comfort, and for Your children who share it with those who are discouraged.
