Discouraged Hearts

 Temple Baptist Church - 8-8-2021

Deuteronomy 1:23-33

 

Introduction: 

 

A.  Part of being “heart healthy” is living an encouraged, victorious Christian life.  Yet, possibly the greatest obstacle that the believer faces is discouragement!  I do not want to focus upon the discouragement of the children of Israel because that is history, but we do need to study history so that we will not repeat it in our lives.

 

B.  In our text for this morning, we find the children of Israel still in the wilderness (Kadeshbarnea-Wilderness of the Fugitive or Wandering) but just a “hop-skip-jump” from stepping into the Promised Land—a land flowing with milk and honey! 

 

1.  And it was such a place.  “And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down unto us …” 

 

2.  It was all that God said that it was!  In verses 20-21, Moses told the people to “fear not neither be discouraged”  Twelve spies were sent into the land and 10 gave an evil report while two gave a good one.  The “evil report” discouraged the heart of the people.

 

3.  Yes, there were wall cities to be breached; there were giants to be faced; there were wars to be fought; there was land to be taken; but the reward was found in the words: “It is a good land which the LORD our God doth give us.”  (Verse 25)

 

4.  Let us look at these verses:  Deuteronomy 1:29-30  Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.  (30)  The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes; 

 

a)  An Encouragement Given – “Dread not, neither be afraid of them”

 

b)  A Promise Re-stated – “The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you”

 

c)  A History to be Relied Upon – “according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes”

 

C.  I want you to see what discouragement is this morning.  DISCOURAGEMENT IS A PERSONAL CHOICE!!  The children of Israel chose to become victims. 

 

1.  They heard an “evil report” (fake news if you will) and chose to allow it to be a source of discouragement.

 

2.  Then they blamed the 10 spies for the discouragement.  They chose to believe spies over God!  If you choose to be a victim, you can always blame someone else for where you are.  THEY KNEW WHAT GOD HAD DONE IN EGYPT, THEY SAW HIS LEADERSHIP IN THE PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE, THE RED SEA, MARAH, MANNA, THE ROCK OF HOREB, AMALEK, AND WHAT HE HAD SAID AT SINAI!

 

D.  No one or nothing can cause you to be discouraged!  Either God is God, or He isn’t!  God either holds your life in His hand or He does not!  Either a sovereign God controls your circumstances, or He does not!  Discouragement is my fault; discouragement is your fault!

 

E.  The cost of their discouraged hearts was great.

 

1.  Discouragement Traded Eleven Days For Forty Years!  Vs. 2-3  Discouragement lengthens your trials and tribulations!  They had already made the 11 day trip and were in Kadeshbarnea!  All they had to do was cross over Jordan and the land was theirs.

 

2.  Discouragement Traded Victory For Defeat!  Vs. 40-46  Discouragement caused an assured victory from the Lord to become a devastating defeat because the Lord was not with them.  Discouragement destroyed their joy!

 

3. Discouragement Traded Canaan For The Wilderness!  Vs. 9, 25; 19, 35, 40  Canaan was truly a land flowing with milk and honey and the wilderness that they had come through was a barren, arid land.  Discouragement will keep your soul dry while denying you the milk and honey that God intended to flood your soul!

 

4.  Discouragement Traded Their Burying Place From Canaan To The Wilderness!  Vs. 34-40a  “But as for you!”  Israel died in defeat!  I don’t know about you, but I want my life to end right.  I want to die serving the Lord, not in discouragement and defeat!

 

F.  To put it plainly, their discouragement destroyed their lives and caused them to miss the Promised Land and die in the wilderness.  Discouragement destroyed their lives and, therefore, their usefulness.

 

G.  Thus, it is in our day.  You hear more people speaking in discouragement than you do rejoicing in victory.  We do face much in the way of disappointment in our day and much of it is because of the brethren as well as the world.

 

1.  Preachers are retiring or just plain quitting because of discouragement.  It is just not like it once was?  Have they not read their bible?

 

2.  People that were once faithful to God are quitting because of discouragement.  So many have been hurt; so many have been enticed by the world or worldly churches.

 

H.  I call Discouragement Public Enemy #1!  Their hearts were discouraged (vs. 28).  Sometimes, if you are not careful, you just get tired of the fight!

 

J.  We lose more people to discouragement than sinfulness.  We lose more people to discouragement than to apostasy.  We lose more people to discouragement than to division.  We so often lose more people that are added.

 

K.  I want to give you 5 areas for discouragement in our day.  You can choose to be discouraged in any or all of these things.

 

1.  Discouraged by our Faith – Not tired of the way but tired in the way.  Loneliness in service.  “Though none go with me, still I will follow.”  JUST STAY WITH GOD.  He has not changed.

 

2.  Discouraged by our Family – Disappointment in family.  We are often discouraged when we see the spiritual condition of our families.  JUST STAY WITH GOD.  He will walk with you.

 

3.  Discouraged by our Friends – King David spoke of “mine own familiar friend” forsaking him.  One that he ate with; one that he walked with; one that he went to “church” with.  JUST STAY WITH GOD.  He will never leave nor forsake you.

 

4.  Discouraged by our Finances – Today, we see inflation rising faster than wages.  JUST STAY WITH GOD.  He owns it all and has promised to supply ALL our needs.

 

5.  Discouraged by our Failures – This one is a “biggie” because all the other sources of discouragement that I mention are not as personal.  JUST STAY WITH GOD.  When you fail, He will not fail; when you fall, He will pick you up; when you sin, He is faithful and just to forgive your sins and restore you to a place of righteousness. 898uj

 

Conclusion:  How can we live a victorious Christian life without being discouraged?  Change the things that you can change and trust God with the things that you cannot change.

 

1.  Find your encouragement in the Lord, not in your circumstances.  He knows where you are in life and if God is “good with it,” then we ought to be good with!

 

2.  Learn to follow God, not man!  You will hear “evil reports” all your lives.  We live in an evil world.  Learn to live!  God will never let you down; He will always be there with you and for you.  I promise you; IT WILL BE ALRIGHT!

 

3.  Purpose to be an encouragement to others, not a source of discouragement.  “And exhorting one another” instead of “our brethren have discouraged our heart!”