There Has To Be More To It

 Not many of us have faced a lot of “valley of the shadow of death” seasons in our life and yet I dare say we have all faced “valley” moments. I have had my share of these and I have to admit some of them felt like the shadow of death. Life is not always easy or fair.

As followers of Jesus there is an expectation that we will keep these moments to ourselves or just pretend they don't exist. I think this is because too many of us believers don’t want to consider the hard questions about our faith. It’s supposed to be all butterflies and daffodils, isn’t it?

It’s not often a lack of faith that finds us in those valleys. What we have to consider is that life is found in the valleys. The mountain top seasons are fantastic and have a breathtaking view that gives us perspective and breathes new life into these old bones, but growth, real growth is found in the challenges of those valleys. Not that Father has planned those valleys but he has planned for them and he never misses an opportunity to help us grow.

Valleys with road maps are great but most don’t have them. Most of them include loss in one form or another. Some of them are so dark you don’t know which way is up any more. These are those moments that you cling to the Lord and make declarations based on the promises you have experienced in the past. Psalm 91 comes to mind:

“I say to the Lord, ‘You are my refuge, my stronghold! You are my God - the one I trust!” (2)

These are the moments you try to climb into the Word, you surround yourself with worship, you write out your prayers, have long discussions with the Lord or whatever “you are my God - the one I trust” looks like to you. For many of us it is the “moment by moment” clinging to Jesus because everything else is shifting and he is the only thing solid in our life. But that is only the beginning place of the valley. Father has more than this in mind for us.

I was in conversation with Spirit the other day and he was pointing out a few things to me about the valley experience and one of them was that quality of trust matters here. This desperation clinging is an okay beginning point but he has called us to a greater relationship than clinched-eyes clinging. Through another preacher he reminded me of  1 Thessalonians 5:

“Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (16-18)

Those three activities are not mere valley activities but are relationship growth activities for all seasons. These are what we do because they are the fruit of who we are, and after entering the valley and regaining our senses we can act on who we are.

Rejoice. Not just on the mountaintops but in the valleys as well. We rejoice because of who Jesus is and who we are in him. We rejoice because he has never failed us. We rejoice because he is good and that goodness never changes. It is the reason Paul told the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord always. It was so important that he repeated himself, Rejoice. After the desperate “cling and declaration”, rejoicing is the next step and demonstrates that you are living what you are declaring. We do not rejoice in our circumstances but in the One who has promised never to forsake us in those circumstances and who has said he is the solution. 

Pray continually. This is the ongoing reminder that you are in Jesus and Jesus is in you. It is a reminder that he is involved in every detail of your life. It is great to discuss every detail of your life with him, your opinions, your dreams and desires. It is an open and honest conversation with the one who knows your heart and mind, the one is for you and not against you. It is a conversation throughout the day, a continual conversation.

Give thanks in every situation. That is powerful. That means in everything, always find the reason why you maintain a life of thanksgiving. This is a powerful weapon against the enemy in that valley because he is there to destroy you by discouraging you, to separate you from Father. But when you set your mind on things above, thanksgiving is a natural expression in dark times, Consider what Paul said to the Colossians.

First he told them to look, seek out, the things that are above:

“... look for the things that are above where Christ is sitting at God’s right side.”

And then he tells them, once they can “see” these things to set theirr thoughts on these things:

“Think about the things above and not things on earth.”

The enemy will try to keep our eyes fixed on the things of this earth because they are death to us, depressing, filled with false hope, and promising to give us what we already possess in Jesus. 

Rejoice always, Pray continually, Give thanks in every situation.

Because I can say he is my God and that I trust him in this valley, I can also move past desperation into fruitful relationship. This is very fertile ground, even if it is uncomfortable at times. How much better to go through it laughing, dancing, shouting with joy in the presence of my King.

True Encouragement In The Body

What is the greatest ministry gift that the Spirit can bestow on a person in our current age? Is it not the ministry of encouragement? Not the encouragement of the world but of the Body of Christ. The greatest thing you can do for a brother and sister in the Lord is to lift them up spiritually, to speak words of encouragement into their lives, words that would enable the Spirit to encourage them in the darkest moments. It is an anointed ministry. We can all encourage but the spiritual gift of encouragement is a supernaturally powerful thing.

Maybe we forget that part of the reason we are here is to lift each other up. Maybe spiritual leaders forget they are here to build up the Body of Christ; not for personal gain but to see people grow in the Lord. Sometimes that encouragement includes correction.

Too many of us see encouragement as cheer leading but for leaders in the Body it also includes positive correction that helps people come closer to the Lord. Apostle Paul was a great example of this because he clearly understood it:

This is why I’m writing these things while I’m away. I’m writing so that I won’t need to act harshly when I’m with you by using the authority that the Lord gave me. He gave it to me so that I could build you up, not tear you down. (2 Corinthians 13:10)

Jesus told his disciples that leadership in the Kingdom means servanthood. Leaders of the Church are not like leaders of the world, they are not lords but ones who lay down their lives in service to the Body. But this type of leadership also requires leaders to correct in the same sense of a parent. It is never pleasant but necessary to reach the goal. The goal is spiritual maturity.

Correction that is brought is not meant to lead to destruction but to build up. Correction in the world involves vengeful justice but in the Church we do not look for justice; we look for correction, restoration and growth. Leaders must constantly demonstrate the forgiveness, mercy, grace, and correction of our Lord, and it costs us a lot because taking correction requires a level of maturity that much of the Church is lacking. But, good, Christ-centered leaders understand that this is what we are to do with the authority that has been given to us.

The Presence Of The Lord Changes Everything

We all have our share of problems and each person thinks theirs is greater than any others. One thing you can be sure of - today you will face difficulties. Jesus even warned us that life would not be fair to us. The thing is, make sure you are not the source of your troubles. We have enough to face without causing unnecessary pain to ourselves.

Now I am not trying to be a downer today because along with the facts of life is the reality of our part in it. When we are facing difficulties we have a few choices in the direction we will head. We can choose to fight it, complaining all the way. We can choose to deny it until it destroys us. Or we can deal with it using the tools Jesus has given us.

One of the greatest gifts we have been given is the constant abiding presence of the Lord. We may not always remember and we may not always practice his presence, but when we do, he becomes our greatest source of strength, encouragement, and wisdom. There is a line in psalm 73 that always reminds me of this fact. The psalmist was struggling over the apparent prosperity of the wicked and he could not understand until he humbled himself and entered the presence of the Lord:

When I thought how to understand this,
It was too painful for me—
Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their end. (Psalm 73:16-17)

Too often we make our struggles harder than they need to be. Father never intended for us to face anything on our own. But all too often we try to take short cuts in the relationship. We will fire off a few quick prayers and expect the situation to be removed, but Father wants intimacy. He will resist us so that we are forced to take the time to consider the situation. He will delay the response until we realize what we have done and come into the awareness of his presence. He is always present but we are often too busy with life to notice.

Taking the time to be aware and to sit in Father's presence is the greatest step we can take to overcoming the difficulties of our day. Whether Father removes them or gives us the strength to overcome them, it starts with our relationship with him. The presence of the Lord changes everything, and the joy we experience from knowing he is with us is the perfect way to face every new day.

In The Face Of Discouraging Times

Have you been paying attention recently? Things look a bit discouraging for Christians at the moment and it seems like it is going to get worse. We see the mounting persecution that is taking place in the United States and if it is happening there we know it won't be long in coming everywhere else. We look at the major split that is happening within the Church as one part rises up to condemn the other part; actually calling brothers and sisters in Christ to be without salvation. It is discouraging for those of us who long for unity within the Body of Christ.

These are not things to shrug our shoulders at as they are doing a lot of damage. We are seeing those who are immature in the Word being confused, not knowing what to believe. We are seeing entire congregations leaving the solid ground of the Word and melting into the arms of the lost. We are seeing the message and influence of the Church eroded by our disunity. Everyone is building camps and flinging mud at those they call lost to the teaching of demons. How can we go forward?

Of course, none of this comes as a surprise for those who know the Word. Jesus warned us of these days, as did Paul, Peter and John. We can't say we didn't see it coming but to actually be in the midst of it, tasting the ugliness of it, is another matter. So now that it is upon us we have to make some decisions: How are we going to respond?

The first thing we have to decide is that we are going to stand for Jesus, no matter the cost. It could cost you a lot, it could cost you everything, but if you understand scripture you know that what it might cost us has no real value compared to eternity and Jesus' glory. So we listen to the Scripture that tells us how to stand:

But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:14-15)

From your spiritual infancy you have been raised on the Word, so stand by it. The World is going to attack it as are many within the Body because it will play out just as it is described in Scripture. In these last days a great strain will be put on our trust in the Word. We can hear the enemies whisper upon the wind, "Has God indeed said ...?"  But if we do not want to be lost in this age we must make the decision to trust the Word and to stand:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (v. 16-17)

But standing does not mean building walls. We are not isolationists. We were left in this world with a purpose, a mission to represent Jesus' love to the lost. Even if the lost are bent on our destruction, we are here to love them. We have good works to do even when we are being attacked:

Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. (2 Thessalonians 2:15-17)

We were born to this age for a reason. We are the generation who it has been given to stand for Jesus no matter the cost. We are to shout of his love even louder as the noise of this world tries to drown us out. We are not to become distracted by the debates within the Church but instead we are to press forward in the good works we have been assigned. Jesus warned us to be found faithful in our duties upon his return and that is what we need to be determined to do. So let this reminder encourage us that, no matter how bad it gets in the coming days, there is an end coming:

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

And that is what we need to do. Set it in your heart right now that your ongoing purpose is to comfort, encourage and pray for all the saints who are standing up under the pressures and persecution of our age. Sing with each other, praise Jesus with loud voices, lift up holy hands, lift up the Name that is above all names. Let us remind each other of these things as the spirit of discouragement tries to undermined us. We are not those who shrink back but instead, empowered by the Holy Spirit, emboldened by Jesus' example, and longing for the presence of Father, we press on. Stand my brothers and sisters, stand!

We Are Very Good At Escapism

It's been a hard day. You're bummed. You just want to veg for a bit, not think about things.You grab the TV remote, open the computer, plug in the ear phones or disappear into a novel.

It's been a hard day.You're stressed. There is so much going on. You don't know what decisions to make. You don't want to think about it right now. You should open your Bible. You should pray. You should spend some time in worship to get centered again, but you don't. It's so much easier to watch a movie on NetFlix, scroll through some social networking, go to sleep.

We belong to a society that loves to escape, prefers to be distracted, to major on the minor and hope the important stuff goes away. It is so easy to give in to it; a lot less energy, less emotions, less decision making. Why can't life just leave us alone?

If we turn to the Bible we quickly discover people who tried to avoid life and their responsibility in it. Yes, you are not alone. Adam tried to hide from God so he wouldn't have to face the consequences of his disobedience. Elijah tried to disappear in a cave to avoid confrontation and threats. Peter fled into the cover of the night to avoid the shame after denying Jesus. Maybe it's just tiredness, despair or craziness but somehow we forget who is our God.

Do we really think God doesn't see us in the forest, or the cave or in the dark? Not only does God love us enough to pursue us in all places but he is waiting there for us before we arrive. God knew all our days before we lived one of them. He knew our decisions, moods, reactions, circumstances and he laid down his plans accordingly. The psalmist reminded us:

"Your eyes saw my embryo,
     and on your scroll every day was written that was being formed for me,
     before any one of them had yet happened." (Psalm 189:16, CEB)

And the psalmist's reaction to this revelation?

"God, your plans are incomprehensible to me!
     Their total number is countless!
If I tried to count them - they outnumber grains of sand!
     If I came to the very end - I'd still be with you." (v. 17-18)

He worshiped. How could he not? Any time we look into the incomprehensible glory of our God our response is worship. And concerning trying escapism on God?

Where could I go to get away from your spirit?
    Where could I go to escape your presence?
8 If I went up to heaven, you would be there.
    If I went down to the grave,[a] you would be there too!
9 If I could fly on the wings of dawn,
    stopping to rest only on the far side of the ocean—
10         even there your hand would guide me;
        even there your strong hand would hold me tight!
11 If I said, “The darkness will definitely hide me;
        the light will become night around me,”
12     even then the darkness isn’t too dark for you!
        Nighttime would shine bright as day,
        because darkness is the same as light to you! (Psalm 139:7-12)

There isn't a cave, jungle, or dark night that could ever separate us from the love of God. There isn't a TV show, video game or book that could keep him from pursuing us. Whatever it is that we don't want to face we can do it with God's strength. Whatever we want to avoid we can confront with Jesus in us. He has promised to equip and strengthen us to overcome all things in this world. So don't put it off.

Put down the TV remote. Put the music away. Turn off the xbox. Close your book and allow God to make you aware of his presence. Receive strength. Overflow with blessings. Be all you were ever intended to be. Forgiven. Transformed. Empowered. Possessed. All things are possible through him who gives you strength.

Welcome back to our reality; the reality of the Risen King.

A Word To The Discouraged Heart

Discouragement is a very powerful thing that does not always come with roots. By roots I mean legitimate causes. Sometimes we can easily see the reasons we are discouraged; our expectations are not met, things are not where we want them to be, failure even though we tried our best. Sometimes it is because of circumstances beyond our control or even caused by us. Then there are other times when there is not justifiable reason, we simple feel discouraged by things in general.

Discouragement does not belong to the children of God. I know we will face it at times but it doesn't belong to us; it is foreign. Discouragement should never be left to take root in us but should be dealt with right away. Confess your feelings. Admit that it is what you are facing. Then ask the Spirit to deal with this thing that is inside of you. Sing, shout, declare the Lordship of Jesus in all things.

The only effective way of dealing with discouragement is to go deeper with Jesus. It won't seem to be working at first and you will really have to push through to get there. I mean, you are going to have to fight. It is a battle to make your flesh submit to your spirit but you can't afford to lose this battle. Why do you think Jacob wrestled with God?

Jacob was facing a very difficult situation. He was running away from one problem only to face another that he had created a long time ago. He had wronged his brother and now he was about to come face to face with him. I am sure you have felt stuck between a rock and a hard place with no easy solution. Jacob did what most of us do in desperate times, he sought assurance from God. Perhaps for the first time in his life Jacob realized that his fast talking would not get him out of this. Filled with fear, anxiety, uncertainty, perhaps discouragement, he would not let go of God until he received his blessing.

I don't think many of us have ever been in this place with God, but we should be. We should all have to face such a time as this, when we are forced to be honest with ourselves and admit our only hope is Jesus Christ. We should all be in that place where we refuse to let go of God, because we have no other hope, until we receive his blessing, his assurance, his promises, his hope, his love.

We are in a time in history when the enemy of our soul is doing everything he can to discourage us. We will have discouragement without root and we will have discouragement with deep roots, like Jacob. Our Father's enemy will accuse us of failure. He will accuse us of what God has forgiven. He will make sure that we see the discouraging things around us and hear the discouraging reports as the Israelites did. And most of it will focus on us. What we did or did not do. Our failures. Our lose. That is how you will recognize him, by his emphasis on you, to provoke your emotions. But knowing this will not be enough to protect your heart. You are going to have to learn to wrestle.

We are warned in Scripture:

My friends, watch out! Don’t let evil thoughts or doubts make any of you turn from the living God. You must encourage one another each day. And you must keep on while there is still a time that can be called “today.” If you don’t, then sin may fool some of you and make you stubborn. We were sure about Christ when we first became his people. So let’s hold tightly to our faith until the end. (Hebrews 3:12-14)

The Scripture encourages us not to be like the Israelites who listened to discouraging reports and refused to enter into what God had promised. My friends, the end is in sight; now is not the time to give up. Now is the time to press on and we need to watch out for each other, to testify to each other, to lift each other up, to pray, encourage, and love each other.

Don't you dare give up: Don't! Jesus is coming!

Content Of Our Prayer

What is the subject of most of your prayers? Most often they are about ourselves; usually rushed emergency prayers. If they are not emergency prayers then they are about us getting closer to God, asking for our eyes to be opened, wanting to sense his presence. How often do we pray for other people? How often do we listen to what is going on around us? How much do we watch and pray? You are a power house of God's mercy and grace with the ability to affect what is happening around you. That's the authority you have through Jesus.

How often do you contend in prayer for those who have been called as leaders in the Body of Christ? You know, those men and women who have set everything aside to make people their business, for the sake of the Kingdom? Doesn't matter if you call them elders, pastors, missionaries, evangelists, prophets or apostles, they are all in great need of your prayer support. How many do you know? For how many do you pray?

Apostle Paul was not above soliciting prayer from the Body of Christ:

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. (Colossians 4:3)

All the human effort on this planet cannot even begin to budge some doors, but prayer flings the doors wide open. I can't explain why God has chosen to work through our prayers but he does. Prayer is an absolute necessity in the work of the Kingdom and people who are looking for doors to be opened so they can preach the Good News need us to be praying. But it is not just about opportunities.

Apostle Paul added:

Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. (v. 4)

We need to pray for the anointing of the workers. We can do a lot in our flesh but we can't do in our flesh anything that will be of any eternal good. The work of the Kingdom needs the anointing of God so it will be proclaimed "clearly", as it should. Without the anointing our words land on deaf ears. Pray for the anointing.

We should each have a list of leaders we are supporting in prayer. Let them know you are one of their prayer supporters and I am sure they will supply you with a list of their prayer needs. Fight for them every day. Make the vast majority of the content of your prayers about others and you will see things begin to change for you.

The Day Is Approaching

It would be great if I could cheer your heart with tales of better days ahead of us, but I can't. Have you read the end of the book? Do you know how it all ends? Dark days are upon us and it is only going to get worse. If you can't handle life and faith and trust now I fear for you in the days ahead. Now is the time to increase our faith and learn to trust, to rely only on Jesus for all our mental, physical, emotional and spiritual needs. But, in saying this we also recognize that neither are we a people of despair.

I guess that is one of my greatest concerns for us, followers of Jesus, at this present time; we so easily fall into despair. How can the children of the light, of the Creator of all things, the bearers of God's righteousness, be a people who so easily fall into panic and despair over trivial matters? Does that sound like the trust Jesus told us to place in him? It doesn't matter what it looks like to us; we know Jesus has the victory. Read the end of the book!

As evil seems to increase and the Church appears to decrease, we must increase in our relationship with Jesus. As more and more "Christians" fall for the tricks and lies of the enemy, we must increase our strength and brilliance in the Spirit. We must become better trained, more submitted, fully obedient and on fire for Jesus. The darker the world becomes the more active we must be in rescuing the perishing. The more the enemy spreads his lies the more we must be shouting the truth from the roof tops.

We can't allow ourselves to fall into the trap of the enemy. We can't allow the patterns and philosophies of this world to take root. We have to spend more time in the Word not less. We need to stand on the truth of the gospel and on the teaching of the Holy Spirit. The Church must rise up and cut all ties from the thinking of this world and cleanse herself in the holiness, the righteousness of God and start living the difference. And we have to encourage each other as the darkness not so slowly moves through the land.

As the world calls us stupid, relics of the dark ages, superstitious, religious, narrow minded, to be pitied, we will encourage each other to stand in the knowledge of the truth and in our relationship in the Lord. We will not despair but instead stand shoulder to shoulder in this great battle as we refuse to yield our ground to the enemy. We will shout out to each other with great words of encouragement, singing together and sharing God's Word to remind ourselves to press on. This is the attitude we must adopt as the darkness increases:

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:19-20) 

If it was important then, how much more important now? My friends, things will not get better for us, dark times lay ahead, but we know how it ends. We are heading to victory and we need to encourage each other. We do not cry. We do not weep and mourn. We celebrate, rejoicing at all times, trusting in all things, knowing God uses it all for our benefit. We speak to one another. We encourage with a song in our heart and a smile on our face. We know how it ends. So, let us encourage each other to be brilliant in the Lord, to keep on serving in joy and strength, to continue to pray and worship, to continue to lay down our lives for the lost and deceived:

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

The Day is approaching!

Weapons Against Discouragement

Discouragement is powerful, deceptive and common among God's children. We should ask ourselves why it is so common. Considering who our God is and what he has done, is doing and will do for us, discouragement should never come near our door. We should be able to hear his message to Joshua as a personal reminder to us:

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged,for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

I find that we often read this as "Have I not commanded you TO be strong and courageous," but we need to read it as "Have I not commanded you? SO be strong and courageous". Joshua, it is me, the Creator of all things who has told you to do these things. Because it is me you can have boldness and confidence. Because it is me who told you to do this you are operating in my authority so be strong and courageous. If you allow yourself to be terrified or discouraged you are showing the world you have no trust and confidence that I am who I say I am.

Joshua's confidence was never found in the pitiful army that was Israel but instead in the fact that the Creator of all things was with him wherever he went. This was the same confidence Moses had. When God threatened not to go with them to the Promised Land, Moses told God he may as well kill him there on the spot because it would be useless to go without God.

I think we too easily forget who our God is and who is really in charge of this world. I think we too easily forget the promises given us and who we are in Jesus. I think we too easily forget that we were told what faith is and that it is required in order to see God. I wish you could be with me this morning as I encourage my congregation with the Word of God but I want to give you a snap shot of why discouragement comes knocking on our door and what we are to do about it. In a nutshell:

The enemy loves to discourage us with doubt and fear:
     - with Eve in the garden "Surely God did not say ..."
     - with mighty king Saul, who hid amongst the baggage at his inauguration
     - with prophet Elijah, who hid out in a cave because he was afraid and discouraged
It's more common than we realize but we have been given tools to combat this thing that threatens to suck the life out of us.

1. Remember what God has done for you:

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)

2. Remember we are a new creation and we are different from this world:

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. (Romans 8:5)

3. We are no longer controlled by what we were but instead by what we have become:

You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. (Romans 8:9)

4. Remember that God addresses us as his children:

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. (Romans 8:15-16)

4. We have a different perspective on this place and our lives in it. We don`t live for ourselves any more:

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)

5. We are never left on our own, and even when we don`t know what to say it is already being said for us:

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. (Romans 8:26-27)

And from this foundation we have powerful scripture that should rip the victory right out of the grasp of that spirit of discouragement and send him back to the pit from which he came. Here they are. Write them down. Better yet, memorize them and use them against any dark spirits that would try to trip you up:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32) 

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:37)

If you really want to give discouragement a good kick in the butt pray through the entire Romans 8 and see what the Spirit does for your spirit. Sometimes facing discouragement can be a good thing as we are reminded who our God is and who we are in him. But we have a choice in discouragement. We can stay there and die under the weight of it or we can get up and remind ourselves of the glory of our God:

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,    my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:5-6)

Choose wisely today my friend. It is not about who you are and what you are doing but instead it is all about who God is and what he is doing through you.Who has commanded you? Where is your confidence found?