ENCOURAGE: 1 a : to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope : hearten; b : to attempt to persuade : urge; 2 : to spur on : stimulate
We are surely creations of habit and comfort. We expect and appreciate encouragement from others, when we're at a low point in our lives; or when it seems that things are falling apart. What do you do, when you need to be encouraged and your personal cheerleaders are not available to urge you on? Should you whine, complain, and beg others to feel sorry for you or just throw a 'pity party?' You don't have to do either one. You can ENCOURAGE YOURSELF IN THE LORD as King David did (1 Samuel 30:6: Read chapters 29 and 30). If you don't know the Lord, you can get to know Him today, because He loves you and gave His only Son for your redemption (Read: John 3:16-17; Romans 10:9-10).
While David and his men were with the Philistines; as they had planned to go to battle with them against their enemies; Ziglag {David's private property}, which means winding was invaded. A troop of Amalekites, ended up taking the women and children captive, carried everything else away and burned it with fire. When David and his men returned to Ziglag and made the discovery, they were completely devastated. It was in that moment, when the people spoke of stoning him that David had to do something besides throw a pity party or lose his life to angry men. Thinking about his two wives, who had been taken captive; DAVID ENCOURAGED HIMSELF IN THE LORD and sought the Lord as to what should be done to rescue their loved ones and belongings! God told David to go ahead and pursue the troop that had invaded Ziglag, for with His help David and his men would surely overtake them without fail and recover all (1 Samuel 30:8).
Today, God's children can always go to God for encouragement through prayer and/or meditating on God's Word and specific promises of deliverance out of all our afflictions [Hebrew: rarah -- adversity, calamity, distress} (Psalm 34:19). Although, encouragement usually comes from others; we shouldn't rely on others to spur us on. If we become dependent on others, we can end up in despair, when they fail to meet our expectations. We must look for alternative ways to stay motivated; so we will be ready and equipped to take action, whenever the occasion should arise.
Whenever, I need encouragement: instead of running to people, I will seek God as I encourage myself in knowing that He will never leave or forsake me; that He will direct my steps and keep His promises, which are in Him YEA and AMEN (2 Corinthians 1:20).
