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, KJV).
What does it mean to encourage? To encourage is to inspire confidence, give hope, or motivate someone.
What does it mean to encourage yourself in the Lord, according to the Bible?
- Make yourself strong. To encourage yourself in the Lord is to make yourself strong in your Lord God.
And David was greatly troubled; for the people were talking of stoning him, because their hearts were bitter, every man sorrowing for his sons and his daughters: but *David made himself strong in the Lord his God. (1 Samuel 30:6, BBE).
- Draw strength from God. Now, to encourage yourself in the Lord is to draw strength from the Lord your God.
David was very upset, for the men were thinking of stoning him; each man grieved bitterly over his sons and daughters. But *David drew strength from the Lord his God*. ( I Samuel 30:6, NET).
- Strengthen yourself in the Lord. To encourage yourself in the Lord is to strengthen yourself in the Lord your God. “But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.”
What does it mean to strengthen? To strengthen is to make something strong or stronger.
Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. (1 Samuel 30:6, NKJV).
In life, as in roles such as a pastor or leader, I can assure you that hardships and unfair circumstances will arise. It’s natural to feel discouraged. However, before you allow yourself a pity party, reflect on David, as we’ve discussed above and in this lesson. One day, before he became king, he and his men returned from a patrol only to find their homes burned and their wives and children captured. Everyone was devastated, and the men were so distraught that they were ready to stone David.
But what did David do? 1 Samuel 30:6 says, “David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” He encouraged himself in the Lord his God. David drew strength from the Lord his God. Also, David made himself strong in the Lord his God.
The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly how David strengthened himself. Let us look at Paul, who knew a bit about discouragement himself. He can give us an outline. In Philippians 4:4–8, Paul says:
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again — rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, honourable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:4–6, NLT).
The steps observed in these verses are as follows:
- Verse 4: Rejoice in the Lord. If you’re unable to find joy in your current situation, shift your focus to something else — such as past blessings, Bible promises, your family’s love, or the beauty of a flower. Listen to uplifting music or, even better, sing. Find something that reminds you of God’s goodness and faithfulness and concentrate on that. Act as if you’re rejoicing, even if it doesn’t feel natural. Do you think Paul and Silas felt like singing hymns while shackled in that dark Philippian jail, their backs bleeding from the whip? (Acts 16:25) Of course not. Yet, they chose to rejoice in God despite their circumstances, and God responded with a miraculous deliverance. The joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10).
- Verse 5a: Be gentle. Discouragement can make you want to lash out at people or act rashly. Don’t give in to those urges. Gentleness is strength under control. As you remain gentle, the strength that discouragement saps will begin to return. Often, we become discouraged because we feel we have somehow failed, so don’t forget to be gentle with yourself.
- Verse 5b: Remember that the Lord is near. God hasn’t abandoned you, even if it may feel that way. Remind yourself that God loves you, is with you, and will care for you.
- Verse 6: Turn your worries into prayers. Worry asks, “Oh, what if this or that happens?” Prayer responds, “Dear God, please take care of this and that.” Share your problems with God and thank Him in advance for His support.
- Verse 7: Continue until the peace comes. A hundred years ago, American Christians talked about “praying through.” Pray through the doubt, pray through the discouragement, pray through the darkness until the peace, the light, or the answer comes. When you compare the size of your problems to the size of your God, you can’t help but find peace.
- Verse 8: Protect against future discouragement. Encourage yourself by focusing your thoughts on good, positive, and God-related things. Habits of thought are like any other habits; they can be formed and broken. Develop the habit of refusing to entertain negative or discouraging thoughts. You can’t keep the thoughts from coming, but you don’t have to entertain them — as someone put it, “You can’t stop the birds from flying over your head, but you don’t have to let them build a nest in your hair.” As soon as you notice a worry or a negative thought, tell it to go away in the name of Jesus. Then consciously start thinking about something positive and godly. Learn to renew your mind in the Lord, and it will transform your life (Romans 12:2).
The devil aims to keep you discouraged because when you’re discouraged, your effectiveness in ministry diminishes. He’ll tell you you’re a failure, that everyone hates you, or that you’re alone in feeling this way. Most of all, he’ll urge you to hide your feelings from others. Don’t heed those lies. A very helpful step is to find someone trustworthy — perhaps another pastor or a mature Christian leader — who will understand and listen to your story and prayers. The Bible provides many helpful examples; for instance, many psalms begin with complaints but end with faith. I suggest studying how biblical figures strengthened themselves. Consider preaching a sermon on these principles, because discouragement isn’t exclusive to pastors or leaders. Then, apply what you learn.
Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him because the soul of all the people was grieved, each man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. (1 Samuel 30:6, NKJV).
Always encourage and strengthen yourself in the Lord. Don’t wait for others to come and boost your spirit — no one may appear. Stand up for yourself and, like David, reinforce your faith in the Lord your God. Draw strength from Him and make yourself strong through your relationship with Him.
Contributor: Gilbert Magomere Ayieko.
