Encouragement: Encourage Yourself - Part 1 of 2

Will and in Zion, and additional Sherry Bradley Junior welcoming you to another broadcast of the Baptist Bible. Our in a be a will and a and and and all the hope that you take time to write in the snow that you permission if you can help us with the support of the program.

You can go to our website at Baptist Bible. Our dock work and make a donation. There are writers at Baptist Bible hour. Box 1737, Cincinnati, OH 45217. Ensure that all of us from time to time have seen people go through great difficulties terrible trials and sorrows felt. I wish I could be of some help.

I know that is much as this person has suffered for this extended period of sickness they have to be discouraged. I would like to be able to encourage we know somebody who loses their job suffers financial setbacks that I'd like to encourage them. I don't quite know how I don't know exactly what to say. What can I do to encourage them.

The list could be quite long. We talked about all of the specific difficulties sufferings heartaches disappointments that people experience things that will bring about deep discouragement, even bringing some to the point of depression, despair would not. Each one of us like to be an encourager certainly would never want our own spirit and attitude of the things that we say it things we did the things we failed to say to be a discourage or think about this subject and was thinking about Barnabas who is noted in the New Testament for being an encourager was first thinking about speaking on the subject of how to be an encourager, but then came to realize that you can't encourage others if you're not. Encourage yourself if you're discouraged, you find it extremely difficult to help someone edify them, encourage them so tonight my subject is encouragement.

Encourage yourself only when you learn how to encourage yourself, can you then be effective in encouraging others. The text is first Samuel chapter 30 the latter part of the sixth verse, but David encouraged himself in the Lord is God.

Why was it necessary on this occasion for David to encourage himself, but he faced some devastating circumstances.

You look in the first verse of this chapter and it came to pass, when David and his men were come to visit my on the third day that the Amalekites had invaded the South and jetlagged and smitten zip line and burned with fire, and had taken the women captives that were therein. They slew not any either great or small, but carried them away and went on their way to David and his men came to the city, and behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters were taken captive to a dark scene.

He does know all the details at this point he doesn't know what has befallen them. He may have initially imagined that they were all dead but to come and see the place burned with fire their wives, their sons, their daughters are taken captives that would certainly shake anybody up on earth is happened then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice, and wept until they had no more power to weep, wept until they got exhausted themselves that you had some deep sorrows in your life where you wept until you felt like you didn't have another two they wept until they had no power to weep, tells us that David's two wives were taken captives verse six and David was greatly distressed for the people spake of stoning him, because the sole of all the people was grieved for every man for his sons and for his daughters but David encouraged himself in his God that's bad enough to face this dark scene to come here and see that the city has been burned in the people been carried away, but now the men that were with David as they had been away in battle, are blaming if we had not left them here if we had not been on this mission.

This probably wouldn't happen. So in their frustration in the deep grief that they felt with their losses. They spoke of stoning David their leader now facing that situation can certainly understand why David needed some encouragement work any of his men that were ready to encouraging. Turn the engine. So David encouraged himself in the Lord is God or small. Let's think specifically about how he did this David encouraged himself. First we would take note of the fact that it says he encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

One thing to talk about the God of creation. One thing to say we believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But it's another thing to say he is my God. He encouraged himself in his God. How is it with you. Sometimes in the midst of your struggles all your theologically well-informed, you know that God is a great God you believe in his omnipotence. You believe that he is working his will you believe in his sovereignty.

All that can seem rather distant when you're in great distress when you have severe disappointments when you're struggling know how you want to pay your bills. Are you dealing with a rebellious child or your suffering.

The disappointment of a friend that has deserted you, how my going to find help. It must be that it's a recognition not just of God ruling overall. But God, being my God is my is my heavenly father David use this kind of terminology frequently in his writings we see in Psalm 63 verse 10, God, thou art my God, early will I seek the my soul first before they eat my flesh wall with for the in a dry and thirsty land where no water is deceived by power and by low Rick. So as I have seen the in the sanctuary because of thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise the God thou art my God, not a distant God not an impersonal God, not a God who doesn't take notice of me, not a God who doesn't even know my name and care about the details of my life but my is my we took noted that in our studies in the book of Habakkuk Habakkuk was so frustrated by the violence that he saw a ramp at the Malan could not understand why first appear that God was doing nothing and then secondly could not understand why God was doing what he was doing the Lord revealed to him what he had determined to bring to pass. But as he tried to come to some resolve of this frustration. The seven Habakkuk chapter 1 of the 12 verse art bound not from everlasting to Lord my God mine holy one, we shall not die, or Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgment. Almighty God, thou hast established them for correction twice. He speaks of God in a personal, intimate way by heart from everlasting, thou art the one true and living God role, Lord, thou art my God mine holy one. What a difference that makes when you see God to be your God, your father in heaven were told to pray our father which art in heaven, hallowed be by name. What a privilege to be able to call upon the great God of glory. But the thinking not only of his Majesty not only of his exalted position, before whom the angels saying, but the think of him as our father. My God. The apostle Paul in writing the deletion letter says in chapter 2 Galatians chapter 2 of the 20th verse. I am crucified with Christ.

Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

Here is not just talking about Christ dying for sinners, Christ laying down his life for the sheep. But he says you love me and gave himself for me. What a wonderful fault Jesus Christ is my Savior. He died for me when he died on the cross as the place to start. That's how David encouraged himself because he saw God as he is God.

Second thing we notice here is the contrast the people spoke of stoning him, but David encouraged himself. Here's a dark scene here, the circumstances that no doubt are upsetting him terribly, but he's not swallowed up of the circumstances is not overcome.

He's not despondent, but he encouraged himself in appeared this moment that he had lost everything but what is he do, he turns to God. He encouraged himself in his God. Psalm 27 verse one is a Psalm of David. He says the Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid when the wicked. Even mine enemies and my flows came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. The one host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear, though war should rise against me in this life. He is the contrast of the wicked. Though my enemies come upon me the desire to eat my flesh, they stumbled and fell. The host should encamp against my heart shall not fear the leaves who had been with David and had gone out to battle with him now blame him for their own terrible trouble, which is before all of them while they are considering installing them but David doesn't give up in despair, he encouraged himself in his God. Psalm 37 speaks in the 38th verse of the transgressors of the end of the wicked verse 39 says, but you're in vivid contrast, in contrast to the transgressors that shall be destroyed and the wicked that shall be cut off, but the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord. He is their strength in the time of trouble. Here's hope here's help your's encouragement, then what other in that connection. Psalm 142. This is a wonderful place to go when you're despondent, discouraged, feel like nobody has been there to help you. You have touched one of the things it can lead to deeper discouragement. You have some rough spots in the road have some very bad days. Have some deep troubles and so right about now. I could really use some encouragement.

Wonder why nobody has called me up by somebody come to see me in the Bible say something about bear one another's burdens, why hasn't somebody come help me bear my burden is it we can easily begin to feel sorry for ourselves. We feel like were terribly neglected and nobody cares about David experience that you're in Psalm 142 verse four I looked on my right hand, and beheld, and there was no man that with no meet refuge fail me no man cared for muscle that probably wasn't hundred percent true, but that's way he felt about that's what looked to him ever been there ever had and they would just I don't think anybody cares. Even my closest friends don't really understand sometime. A person may say all you can you can share your deepest feelings with me. This open up and tell me what's bothering you and maybe you did open up and then realize a person than understand what I'm talking about. They think they don't understand how deep I am about all they did was try to minimize my trouble in Delmas not as bad as I thought it was didn't help much. Said nobody cares about. He cares for my so what would he do, I cried on the legal Lord, I said, thou art my refuge, my portion in the land of the living by. That seems to be a difficult lesson for all of us learn more thou art my refuge start my hiding place.

I feel to be exposed a fee to be expose all of the troubles and trials that have beset me. I feel be facing it all alone. Nobody is come to my side. Nobody is attempting to comfort me. Nobody is helping me carry my burden, but to thou art my refuge, thou art my portion, I'm satisfied with this portion, the portion that God has given me the third thing we see about how David encouraged himself is simply just that he encouraged himself he wasn't depending on anybody else want anybody else that encouraged all the people present.

Things like killing joy couldn't get any encouragement from them. If who's going to get any encouragement had to encourage himself. That's what he did how to do it well. The details really are not given here but I can well imagine that it was been encouraging him to think back when he was just a youth and accepted the challenge of Goliath yet think that was pretty difficult thing looks like right now that I might be facing death on the date of the truth. I thought to be going out there to face that giant didn't look like a human standpoint that it was work out my confidence. It was in God and God gave the victory God delivered me in that hour, I knew that the battle is the Lords and in the Lord blessed me in no doubt he could go down through those experiences and say the same God blessed me in the past is still with me today is just the same today. That's why the right of the Hebrew letter tells us in chapter 12 verse two looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith where we go to find help her to go to find encouragement.

We need encouragement to look at the world around you. If you can very easily and quickly get discouraged. You look at other people. You can easily be discourage you look at yourself.

You can easily be discourage but looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. For the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down on the right hand of the throne of God.

Looking unto Jesus, we don't get discouraged looking to him.

You look to Jesus as the friend of sinners look to Jesus as the one who says come unto me and I will give you rest. You look unto Jesus is the conquering King and the one who can and will help you in your trouble. So David encouraged himself will and all will and in and certainly in these challenging times we all need encouragement wonderful if somebody gives us a word of encouragement. But sometimes it just doesn't happen. So are simply to pay has been encouraged yourself even as David did long ago but we learn to find that encouragement we need in the word of God and then be ready to encourage others.

I hope you will write us at Baptist Bible Auerbach 17 oh 37th Cincinnati, OH 45217 to recruit you next time. This is will share Bradley Junior bidding you goodbye and may God bless you see all reading and day and day. The be all nice and be in all