Sundown Devotional: Choose to Encourage Yourself

MsDora, a former teacher and Christian counselor, presents practical Scriptural principles for joyful everyday living.

The Devotional

David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. 1 Samuel 30:6 (KJV)

Despair and depression are no strangers to Christian believers. It is possible to find ourselves overwhelmed by disappointment and loss; hemmed in within situations that we cannot control; helpless when we cry out and it seems that nobody hears. We sometimes lack the awareness to see God in the circumstances; and we may choose to give up, but we can also make the effort to get up from underneath to above the circumstances.

David returned home to find the town destroyed by fire. All the wives and children, including his, were taken captive. David cried until all his tears were used up, then he encouraged himself. According to the newer translations, he “found strength in the Lord his God.” (NLT)

We are not likely to remain discouraged when we take the steps to encourage ourselves by:

• reading stories of David (1 Samuel 30) and others like Him who found their strength in God;
• listening to encouragement from others through sermons and songs (Ephesians 5:19);
• meditating on God’s love songs in our nighttime devotionals (Psalm 42:8);
• visualizing His everlasting arms underneath (Deuteronomy 33:27) protecting us from hitting rock bottom;
• repeating out loud His promise to strengthen, help and uphold us (Isaiah 41:10);
• rendezvousing with nature and becoming inspired by His handiwork (Psalm 19:1);
• counting our blessings, all of which come from God (James 1:17);
• sharing the benefits like David did when he regained his strength (1 Samuel 30: 22-25).

These are all good habits which can help us pull ourselves out of the doldrums when everyone else is preoccupied. We can be the one to change the mood in our homes, on our jobs, in our communities if we know how to encourage ourselves. Let’s practice and become experts at encouragement!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for being the Source of our joy. Please help us make it a habit to find our strength in You, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Ten Quotes About Encouraging Yourself

1. “The Bible says that David encouraged himself in the Lord…He had lost everything. He had lost his wives. He had lost the loyalty and support of his men. But when folk let you down, you can still turn to God.” ―Charles E. Blake
2. “With God, you are stronger than your struggles and more fierce than your fears. God provides comfort and strength to those who trust in Him. Be encouraged, keep standing, and know that everything's going to be alright.” ―Germany Kent
3. "There is not always going to be other people there to offer encouragement. Those people who are only able to achieve things when cheered on by other people will not be able to do much in life." ―AlcoholRehab
4. “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.” ―Ellen G.White
5. “We can only reach the highest height, if we encourage each other.” ―Lailah Gifty Akita
6. “When hardships keep coming back, do not take it personal. It's just life.” ―Naide P Obiang
7. “If you're stuck in a puddle, it means there's higher ground all around you, you just have to step onto it.” ―Emilyann Girdner
8. “Keep encouraging yourself that you are good enough as a workman of God created for every good work one earth prepared for you before the world begun.” ―Israelmore Ayivor
9. “When we are discouraged it is common to turn to other people, television, or some kind of escape. This is . . . temporary anesthesia but not a solution or real deliverance. We must . . . pursue the presence of God through meaningful prayer and His word.” ―Daniel Henderson
10. “When you feel distressed and discouraged, remember how many times that God has delivered you, and you will be encouraged.” ―Dr. Kreighton L. Chan
    

More Sundown Devotionals

• Sundown Devotional: Tribute to A Father's Legacy
  My father died before I was old enough to remember him, but in that moment, my heart embraced him with all the strength it had. I had benefited from his legacy of kindness. He was real and unforgettable!
• Sundown Devotional: Dance Like God Is Watching
  Genuine praise seeks expression. Singing, shouting or dancing can happen whenever and wherever we take time to count our blessings. Let's worry less, praise more and include the dance.
• Sundown Devotional: Waiting Bravely and Patiently
  In Psalm 27, David begs his soul to wait patiently on the Lord, and to be brave about it. What does bravery have to do with waiting?

© 2014 Dora Weithers