Q3. Discouragement

[haar]

Q3. (Haggai 2:1-5)

Q. Discouragement is a common experience. What command does God give Joshua the high priest?
A. Do not be afraid ( fear not) He commanded the leadership and the people. We will do well today if we take heed of the same command to us to fear not.

Q. What assurance does he give?

A. He encourages them that His presence is with them through His Spirit. We have the same encouragement to hold on to toady.

Q. To deal with your own times of discouragement, what would God's command and assurance be for you?

A. Se above.

Q. How would you implement them?

A. Obey Him. But the fact is that when trouble comes, we (I in particular) at that moment  forget that He has commanded us not to fear the bad situation we find ourselves in. We also at that moment forget that He has promised to be with us to deliver us from the cause of fear.

 

[Katy]

In Haggai 2v4 The Lord tell Joshua son of Jehozadak “Be strong, all you people of the land and work. For I am with you”.

There are other times when God give this same promise to people in his Word. Joshua 1v9 “ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged for the Lord, your God is with you wherever you go.”

In my own times of discouragement I use there verses particularly the verse from Joshua1v9. I say it over and over again to myself. I also trust God and ask Him to help me and forgive me for being discouraged! 
I do feel these verses and promises are written for us to claim as children of God. I also feel that this is why they are written in more than one place to remind us that God is with us and we need to be strong and courageous, we do not have to go in our own strength but in the strength of the Lord. And we need to continue our work for Him and not grow weary. 
Galatians 6v9. Philippians 4v13.

[souxieq]

On 8/16/2017 at 2:54 AM, Pastor Ralph said:

Q3. (Haggai 2:1-5) Discouragement is a common experience. What command does God give Joshua the high priest? What assurance does he give? To deal with your own times of discouragement, what would God’s command and assurance be for you? How would you implement them?

God reminds Joshua of his earlier words of encouragement "Have I not commanded you be strong and courageous? ......for the Lord your God is wth you wherever you go?" 

As humans it is easy to become terrified of potential trouble if we take hold steps against oppressors. The Jews wanted a physical king because they wanted a safety net from all their enemies in physical form. A strategist and strongman who would lead them. And God gave them Saul to begin with, even though He preferred to lead them all Himself.

If we are to choose to hold on to God's word of encouragement, we have to believe that what he tells us works out for the best in the big scheme of things. We may not like some of his methods, or even the outcome, and therefore find it hard to believe he is actually working on our problem. It may even look like he is working for our enemies - Jonah for instance. How he sulked when he realised God was considering mercy towards his people's most cruel oppressors. When he got the call to go to Nineveh, he took off swiftly in the other direction. But when God in His own unique way set his direction right, and Jonah did what was expected, we see that Nineveh repented and showed it right down to their animals. Not what Jonah expected at all. So he plonks himself on top of a hill, keeping watch on the city, still believing in his head that God cannot possibly redeem that lot and waited for the proverbial lightening to strike. 

It didn't.

And Jonah sulked like a big baby. We read how God pacified him like the big baby he was, giving Jonah the analogy of the plant that withered. What is interesting is when God says that the people of Nineveh did not know one hand from the other. 

Please excuse the lack of brevity in answering this question, but what I got out of it, is that if God gives instructions then go ahead and obey it, even if in one's mind, it seems like a huge injustice. God takes care of injustices - sometimes even when we don't know that it has come against us. But the essence of the gospel is grace and in Jonah's time, we see it was Gods nature always to give people chances no matter how monstrous their actions might have been. God knows when, how and why. He will take care of the hurdles that we can't. 

His assurance is all we need. "Do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged."

I pray that I myself should find this confidence in God's assurance, as also to first be able to distinguish His voice from my own chaotic thoughts.