I have given way to discouragement, dark discouragement far too much in the past.  Now I know rather better and thoroughly agree with the assertion, ‘all discouragement is of the devil.’

-J.O. Fraser from the book Mountain Rain

 I too have given way to discouragement far too much in the past.  when discouragement tempts, the answer it always offers is to quit.  and the accusations that partner with it are often not all that far off.  “see where prayer gets you-why bother?  it will just be another rejection, betrayal, disappointment, why even try?”

at it’s very core,  i find discouragement to be the wondering; “is God even there, is He paying attention? does He even care?  is He powerful enough for this?”

‘discouragement is to be resisted just like sin,’ he continued.  ‘To give way to the one is just as bad and weakens us as much as to give way to the other.  God has wonderfully sustained me through this trial, and to Him be all praise when i say that not for one instant has it disturbed my peace or radiant faith in the risen and ascended Lord.’

-J.O. Fraser from the book Mountain Rain

the thing is, i don’t resist by rebuking the discouragement.  i resist by rebuking the discourag-er.

 i hold the situation honestly before me; “this is mighty discouraging…”

and hold the truth honestly before me as well.  “...but God; His eye is on the sparrow.  He has named the stars and not one of them is missing. to Him who is able…able to keep me from falling, able to accomplish His purpose, able to do immeasurably more.”

sometimes He wonderfully sustains me by bringing to mind the very ‘but’ that i need for the battle.  when this happens, when He stoops down and gives me courage to go on, discouragement does not overtake me. peace returns and with it

a depth of joy in the experience of an attentive and loving Father.

other times i have to wield my sword and fight.  scouring His word searching out the truth of who He is, choosing to go on anyway as an act of defiant faith that Jesus is in fact who He says He is. taking Him at His word, peace returns and with it

a depth of joy in the fact of an attentive and loving Father.

i cannot say with J.O. Fraser that my “peace or radiant faith in the risen and ascended Lord” is never disturbed.  but i can say that the length of the disturbance is getting shorter and shorter, and for that i rejoice.

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to draw further in:  much of the book of Isaiah, Matthew 6, Sara Hagerty’s adoration instagram