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My Daily Blessing from My Daily
Bible Reading
with meditations
by my mother, Poetess Gertrude Sanborn
February 27
Numbers 34:29–Deuteronomy 1:37
DISCOURAGEMENT IS A FUNNY ANIMAL
DEUTERONOMY 1:28
"Our brethren
have discouraged our heart. . ."
Discouragement is a funny
animal. You can go along in life and do the job set
before you without a whine or whimper. You can go
forward, in spite of all odds; yet along comes a friend,
and with one word of criticism, you become discouraged
like you’d never been in your whole life. Why is this?
Suddenly, your courage is gone. Your spirit is emptied
of purpose and cheer. Why is this? I suppose it depends
on who is belittling you and upon who is criticizing
you. You try to please those you love. You long for
their approval. With one word, they make your feel like
life is too difficult and not worthwhile.
This must have been some of the emotional let-down
that the children of Israel had when the ten spies
returned to the camp with the disappointing conclusion
that the Canaanite would be impossible to defeat.
Instead of looking on the bright side of life, the
wanderers cowered at the thought of meeting a giant or
conquering a walled city. They forgot that the LORD was
on their side. How quickly they forgot His power. Just
eleven days (Deuteronomy 1:2) or so previously, God had
pushed the Red Sea aside and let all of them pass over
to the other shore without a drop of sea water in their
pockets.
Yet, what they considered "bad news"
stilled them. They became discouraged. They refused
to cross over Jordan at the proper time. So they had to
wander back and forth and up and down for forty years
until all the adults died off-–even Moses and Aaron.
Only the new generation, unstained by doubt and
unbelief, would go into the new land. Shame on those who
planted doubt into the eager Israelites. Shame on those
who discouraged them in the way.
Are you a discourager? Or an encourager? Think
about that today. Have your words soured your husband,
your wife, your parents, your children from doing more
in life because you said it was an impossible goal. If
so, change your ways before it is too late or the one
you love may become bogged down in a life unfulfilled of
purpose and joy. (ysw)
"THE JOY OF THE
LORD"
(Nehemiah 8:10)
"Neither be ye
sorry, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!"
Why should we
grieve when there is joy in the Lord?
He can cause the
most bitter tear to glisten.
So let not your
heart be troubled.
(GGS)
And
Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he
said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will certainly
return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo,
Sarah thy wife shall have a son. (Genesis 18:10)
Under God's Care,
Yvonne S. Waite
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