Encourage Yourself

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Encourage Yourself

La'Kesha Ford Calhoun
May 17, 2007

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. - 1 Samuel 30:6

Have you ever been greatly distressed? Have you ever felt like you were about to lose your mind? Have you ever felt like you couldn't go on any longer? Have you ever felt like throwing in the towel? If you haven't, then please tell me what planet you live on. Because one thing is for sure, while you are still living on this side of heaven, you are going to go through some things. You are going to have some weak moments, moments of frustration, moments of grief, moments of despair, moments of what seems like hopelessness. Moments where you feel like David in our referenced Scripture; greatly distressed. Has anyone ever been there? Are you there now?

Each night prior to going to bed, I ask the Lord what He would have me to write about. Sometimes He deals with me in my dreams, other times He speaks directly to my spirit the next morning, and then there are times when He confirms it through a song. This morning, He did the latter. While sleeping, He spoke these words in my spirit, "You Have to Learn How to Encourage Yourself." I woke straight up and then He played a familiar song that has been sung in churches around the world recently, as well as on the radio. Prior to hearing it in church, I had never heard the song before because I usually don't listen to the radio in my car in the morning, and in the afternoon, my son is giving me a rundown of his entire day at school.

Well, once the Lord woke me up around 5ish, I kept hearing the words to the song over and over again. As a matter of fact, it's still playing in my ear as I type. The song is called Encourage Yourself by gospel artist Donald Lawrence. And for those of you who have never heard this beautiful song, I would like to share the words with you. "Sometimes YOU have to encourage YOURSELF. Sometimes YOU have to speak victory during the test. No matter how you feel, speak THE WORD and YOU will be healed. Speak over YOURSELF. Encourage YOURSELF in the Lord. Sometimes YOU have to speak THE WORD over YOURSELF. The pressure is all around, but God is YOUR present help. The enemy created walls, but remember giants, they do fall. Speak over YOURSELF, encourage YOURSELF in the Lord."

This is essentially what David had to do. In the above Scripture, it wasn't the first time David found his back against the wall, and I'm sure it wasn't the last time. Sometimes, God will remove all of our crutches so that we can learn to depend solely on Him. There have been times in my life when I have called prayer partner after prayer partner and got voicemail after voicemail. I'd call my husband and he would be out of range. No one would answer and if encouragement was to come, I was going to have to do what? You got it! Learn to encourage myself. Too many times we look for others to speak a word into our lives. We look to others to assure us that everything is going to be okay. We look to others to validate us.

But there comes a time in your life when you are going to have to encourage yourself. There comes a time in your life where you are going to have to tell yourself that everything is going to be okay; that all is well. There is going to come a time when you are going to have to speak the Word over your situation your one self. You have to learn how to encourage yourself. You have to learn how to speak to your own moutains. You are going to have to learn how to bind and rebuke the enemy out of your mind yourself. Yes, prayer partners are wonderful. Prayer lines are awesome tools. But what happens when you can't get anyone to answer their phone. What happens when you are in a deserted place all by yourself? What happens when you are lying in the hospital bed with tubes in your nose and mouth? People of God, you are going to have to learn how to encourage yourself! That is in essence what God wanted to say to us this morning.

If no one is there to give you a Word, open up your mouth and encourage yourself. Tell yourself that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). Tell yourself that you are more than a conqueror [Romans 8:37] Tell yourself that you are troubled on every side, BUT not distressed. You are perplexed BUT not in despair. You are persecuted BUT not forsaken. Cast down BUT not destroyed [2 Corinthians 4:8-9]. Tell yourself that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13). Tell yourself that if God be for you, then who can be against you (Romans 8:31)? Tell yourself that by His stripes YOU are healed [Isaiah 53:5]. Tell yourself that your God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus! [Philippians 4:19] Tell yourself that no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper [Isaiah 54:17]. You better learn how to encourage yourself! Had David set around and had a pity party or waiting for his men to encourage him, he never would have recovered all. [I Samuel 30:6-8]. Hear me good, if you are going to win the battle that you are fighting now, you are going to have to participate. You are going to have to open up your mouth. You are going to have to learn how to encourage yourself.

I don't know what you are going through, but whatever it is, God wants you to encourage yourself today. He's been speaking to you all week long through the devotions. On Monday, Linda encouraged us that God has seen our afflictions. Then Tuesday, God encouraged us to hang on in there and not quit. Then yesterday, the Lord told us that it is well. Well, if you are still down in the dumps today after those powerful words, then God's not sending you another Word today. He wants you to encourage yourself. You know what He's already said about your situation. You already know that the victory shall be yours and that your story will not end like this. But yet you are still greatly distressed because of what you see.

When David and his army returned home, all they saw was smoke and ashes of what used to be. Not only had their city been burned to the ground but their wives and children had been taken captive. There was nothing left. The men were broken and rightfully so. When they left home they had everything but now they had nothing. Instead of getting mad at the real enemy, they got mad at David. Instead of taking their anger out on the real adversary, they wanted to take it out on David. They were mad! They were ticked off! They were hurt. So much so that they cried so hard and so long that they didn't have any more strength to cry (1 Samuel 30:4). God knows I've been there before. And for a minute there, David caved in from the pressure. But as the tears fell, something rose up on the inside of David. He started reflecting on how the Lord had delivered him from the bear and the lion. Then how the Lord had delivered him from the giant, how the Lord had raised him up to be king and kept Saul from killing him.

I believe David started talking to himself. I believe He said the same God that got me out of mess before is the same God who will get me out of this mess today. Somebody say the same God! The same God who paid your rent last month is the same God that will pay it this month. The same God who kept you from going under last time is the same God who will keep you from going under this time. The same God that spared your job during the last layoff is the same God who will spare your job this time. The same God who raised you from your bed of affliction last time is the same God who will raise you up this time. I'm talking about the same God! I'm talking about the God who changes not! [Malachi 3:6] I'm talking about the Almighty God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever more [Hebrews 13:8]. I said the same God!

Woman of God, why are you stressing out? Man of God, why are you about to throw in the towel because of what you see? You better encourage yourself! You better speak the Word over your situation. Speak to that mountain and command that it be cast into the sea! God said you need to encourage yourself today! He wants to hear your voice! He doesn't want to hear what everyone else has to say about your situation. What do you say about it? That's it, I'm done. I have my own mountains to speak today and if I were you, I'd get to speaking to mine too. Deliverance is here but it's in YOUR mouth! So if I were you, I'd open it and encourage myself in the Lord!

God Bless.
La'Kesha
lakeshafc@yahoo.com
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I sincerely pray that it is a blessing to your spirit man as it was for me.