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Have you ever felt like giving up?  Discouragement just might be man’s most deadly disease.  Why?  Because it is universal.  Everybody gets discouraged.  And it doesn’t just infect the body, it touches the soul.  More people have given up over discouragement than anything else.   

I love the Bible because the Bible is real.  It deals with the good and the bad in people’s lives.  We see in Scripture how the men and women of the Bible faced discouragement.

There is a story in 1 Samuel 30 that has always stood out to me.  It’s about David. I think there is something we learn here from David’s experience that we can apply to our lives.  David is facing one of the darkest moments of his life.  His wife and children had been kidnapped.  He doesn’t know where they are or if they are alive.  His home and his village has been burned to the ground.  Everything he owned has either been stolen or destroyed in the fire.  All of his friends have experienced the same thing.  For some reason, they are blaming David.  Word has reached David that the men of the village are talking about killing David.

You can’t imagine him getting any lower than this.  Imagine the panic he felt over his family.  Now it’s possible he is going to be executed.  What does he do?

The bible says “he found strength in the Lord.”  The KJV says “David encouraged himself in the Lord.”

Can I ask you a question?  What do you do when you feel like giving up?  You see, what you choose to do in that moment is huge.  Because how you handle things can impact everything in your life.  People who fee like giving up often:

• Want to get away, they want to escape.   You have an intense desire to run away.  “I’ve got to get out of this place!”  “I’ve got to quit my job!”  “I’ve got to escape from the demands, from the pressure.”
• Stop coming to church
• Quit reading their Bibles, they quit praying
• Begin to blame God for their circumstances
• Isolate themselves
• Sleep a lot/have insomnia
• Overeat/loss of appetite
• Have a loss of energy/don’t want to do anything

You and I are going to face this.  Discouragement comes to everyone.  But we have to make a decision, and you can make this decision today.  What am I going to do when I feel like giving up? 

David realized what we have to realize is that strength comes from the Lord.  Encouragement comes from the Lord.  There is no other place to go. 

Feel like giving up?  Here’s what you can do.
1. Keep your eyes focused on God's power and resources. Resist the discouragement!
1. Remember God's past faithfulness and begin to thank God for what he has already done.
2. Remind yourself of what you know is true.  Decide what you are going to set your mind on.
3. Speak words of faith.  What do you believe God is going to do?  Say it! Act upon your faith!

Today’s Challenge:  Some of you may be barely hanging.  I believe God’s Word to you is “Hold on!  Don’t give up.  The tide is out, but it comes back in. 

Giving up is not an option!

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