“Don’t get discouraged. Discouragement is a lie.”
The Lord spoke these words to me this morning to encourage those of you who may be struggling with discouragement.
“Strengthen those who are discouraged. Energize those who feel defeated. Say to the anxious and fearful, “Be strong and never afraid. Look, here comes your God! He is breaking through to give you victory! He comes to avenge your enemies. With divine retribution he comes to save you!” Isaiah 35:3-4 TPT
The first mention of the word “discourage” in the Bible is found in Numbers 32:7 when Moses rehashes the repercussions of the unbelieving Israelites that spied out the promised land and came back SPEAKING a negative report to discourage the rest of the family from going into their God-given inheritance.
In Numbers 13, Moses, per the Lord’s request, sent out 12 men to check out the land (the land which the Lord said HE WAS GIVING to them). He wanted to see what they would see.
Two of those twelve, Caleb and Joshua, saw the promise and prosperity of the land amidst the obstacles.
As a matter of fact, they brought back a branch with One cluster of grapes which was so huge it needed to be carried on a staff between the two them. What a beautiful picture of Jesus at Calvary; He is The Branch (the Tree of Life, the root and offspring of David, Isaiah 11:1, Zechariah 6:12) whose blood (cluster of grapes crushed to pour out His liquid love) was laid upon the cross (the staff) for you and me!
Caleb, who wholeheartedly followed the Lord because he had a different Spirit – the Spirit of trust – and Joshua (which is the Greek form of Yeshua = Jesus/Salvation) were the only ones who believed God and said they could take what He had given. (Numbers 14:24)
They had their spiritual eyes on the Prize (Jesus) and possessed the fruit by faith first. They understood our New Covenant reality that if God is for you, who can be against you? They had the revelation that it wasn’t by their own strength or self-effort they would inherit the promises and defeat their adversaries, but by the power of the Spirit of the Lord alone! And that belief transferred generational blessings to their posterity.
The other ten (10 = law) however, walked by natural sight and focused on the giants of fear, terror and intimidation believing these enemies would devour them. These spies saw themselves as victims not believing WHOSE they were and what was already theirs by grace. And they let their wrong images rob them from the blessings that awaited them.
To top it off, they let their mouths speak out of their unbelief and emotions, moving the multitudes into despair as they denounced the destiny that was in God’s heart for them. Only Caleb and Joshua were allowed in (See Numbers 13, 14).
Beloved, this does not mean because you’ve had bouts of wavering in your faith or you’ve spoken out of emotions that you will not receive your blessings or breakthrough (there is no condemnation in Christ).
On the contrary, this report is to remind you of who you are despite who you think you’re not! YOU are a Caleb and Joshua in Christ! In His resurrection and through your trust in Him, you are already in the True Promise Land as the victor and heir of His Kingdom. This is how He sees you. And this is how He wants you to see yourself.
Moreover, what you believe about God has everything to do with how you receive from Him. When you are discouraged, do you see your Father being disappointed in you? That’s a lie! In your discouragement, He’s still delighting in you! Jesus draws you closer there to lift you up and enlarge you in His fullness.
The definition of “discourage” is to be deprived of confidence or to be disheartened. The enemy wants to deprive you of your confidence before God, who IS Profound Goodness. He wants you to doubt your ‘belovedness’ and innocence in Him so you won’t come boldly to Him to receive freely what Jesus’ blood paid for, including deeper intimacy and growing in your authority.
Truth is, it is the devil, your accuser and forever loser (who was disarmed at the cross, Colossians 2:15), who loses his confidence in devouring you when you cast every care on Jesus and simply abide in His comforting presence.
Don’t let your hope be deferred any longer because you are looking at everything in the natural or hearing bad reports from man. Your assurance must be in Jesus and in His Word!
Tell your Father you want your heart rooted in His love, anchored in His undeserved favor and steadfast in HIS faithfulness because His supply is based not on your performance but on the perfect sacrifice of His Son.
The Lord knows there are giants in your life. He knows how they’ve been taunting you. But the battle doesn’t belong to you. It is His and He’s already won. When your perspective is from Heaven’s finished work and your eyes are on Jesus with your head on His heartbeat, every enemy is brought, one by one, under your feet (Psalm 110:1).
So stop letting your heart get disheartened but instead guard it above all else because that’s where life starts! Like Caleb and Joshua declare that you dwell in an exceedingly good land! (Numbers 14:7)
Report that healing and health is yours! Relationship reconciliation is yours! Family unity and fruitfulness is yours! Restoration of all the enemy has stolen is yours! Peace is yours! Joy is yours! Provision is yours! Protection is yours! And a bright future with long life is yours! The best is yet to come!
“We look away from the natural realm and we focus our attention and expectation onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection.” Hebrews 12:2 TPT
Resting In His Love,
Annalee Reyes