DIGGING DEEP NO. 1035 May 14, 2024 BE ENCOURAGED Haggai 2:1-9

Discouragement is one of the main causes of failure in your physical work as well as your spiritual relationship with God. It is a tool too often used by the enemy. The Bible recognizes this and encourages us by giving us scriptures that we can refer to and encourage ourselves. One such example can be found in 1 Sam. 30:1-6 when David, being distressed and facing stoning from his people encouraged himself in the Lord. Discouragement is not necessarily a result of one’s inability to achieve something, but most often it is a result of not fully understanding your potential, and the power of God. discouragement sometimes manifests itself because we magnify our problems and minimize our God. It is one thing to feel discouraged, but it is completely another to then allow ourselves to succumb to the spirit of discouragement

The famous inventor, Thomas Edison, tried again and again to find the right filament for the incandescent electric light bulb. One day he had completed his 10,000th experiment only to discover another way that would not work. When he arrived home that night, he shared this bit of news with his wife. “Aren’t you pretty discouraged, Tom?” she asked. “Discouraged?” responded Edison. “Certainly not! I now know 10,000 ways that won’t work!”

Perseverance seems to be an outdated concept in our day of instant everything. If it doesn’t come easy, why pursue it? If it’s hard or requires endurance, maybe it isn’t your thing. But we are reminded that nothing good comes easy.

It’s easy to start a new diet. It’s tough to stick to it when you crave that swallow. It’s easy to start a new exercise program. It’s tough to persevere when your aching muscles scream, “No more!” or when you are not seeing the results you want yet. It’s easy to get married. It’s tough to hang in there when the love you had is waning away, when the disrespect creeps in, or when the flowers stop coming. It is easy to come up with New Year resolutions but difficult to persevere enough to see the desired results

The people in Haggai’s day had the same problems, just a month after they had obeyed his first message and resumed work on rebuilding the temple. The foundation had been laid about 15 years before, but the project had been set on the shelf. But now, in response to Haggai’s word from the Lord, the leaders, and people had begun to rebuild Haggai delivered his second message to the people (2:1-9). It is a message of God’s encouragement to discouraged workers. We learn that God encourages His discouraged servants to persevere in His work.

These verses teach us three things about persevering by turning our discouragement in serving the Lord into encouragement:

1. 1. God understands and cares about the discouragement we face in serving Him (2:1-3).

The Lord did not gloss over or ignore the reality of the situation. He knew what they were thinking and feeling, and He brought it up to show them that He understood and that He cared for them. If we do not keep in mind that in all our troubles the Lord understands and cares for us, we will easily become discouraged. Psalms 23, Romans 10:11, Isaiah 40:31

The text and historical context reveal several potential sources of discouragement when we get involved in serving the Lord:

1. THE LOSS OF INITIAL EXCITEMENT CAN DISCOURAGE US.

There is always a certain sense of excitement when you begin a new ministry or project. But the glow easily rubs off in the grind. There were probably piles of rubble that needed to be removed. Perhaps some of the workers had envisioned putting the finishing touches on some gold work or other craftsmanship, but they hadn’t thought about hauling rubble. Their initial enthusiasm was already wearing thin.

1. DELAYS CAN DISCOURAGE US.

There are many things we all desire from God. We all have our prayer points. It might be a desire to get married, a desire for the fruit of the womb, a desire to be healed from that sickness, a desire to see your children have a normal life. because God works according to his timetable, your desires and the manifestations of your desires work on different wavelengths. In times like this discouragement sets in and derails you from God’s plan

1. OUTSIDE OPPOSITION AND CRITICISM CAN DISCOURAGE US.

In verse 5, the Lord says, “Do not fear!” He would not have said that unless they had a reason to be afraid. Any time you attempt to do God’s work, Satan will stir up opposition. We’re in a battle with the forces of darkness that are opposed to the church of Jesus Christ. Expect opposition! Sanballat and Tobias 

1. INSIDE PESSIMISM, COMPARISONS, AND FAULTY EXPECTATIONS CAN DISCOURAGE US.

One common form is pessimism. “We tried that before. It won’t work!” A second form of inside opposition comes from those who drop little comparisons on you. Sometimes people will compare you with others, they will minimize your achievements, and magnify your struggles giving examples of those who have either failed or succeeded with very little effort.  They will highlight your failures and make light of your successes, “That church on the other side of town really has their act together!” (Implication: You don’t!) And then some have faulty and unrealistic expectations of us. It is like a father who refuses to acknowledge a child who comes home with B’s

1. A WRONG VIEW OF SUCCESS CAN DISCOURAGE US.

Some view success externally rather than internally (or spiritually). God doesn’t view things as we do. Just because one church isn’t as big or outwardly slick as another church doesn’t mean anything to God. A church may have a multi-million-dollar facility, but if it doesn’t honor God’s Word or promote His glory among the nations, that facility is a big pile of wood, hay, and stubble! God is looking for the glory of Christ formed in the hearts of His people, not for the outward, superficial signs of success.

Another wrong view of success is the instant view as opposed to the eternal. True success will be measured in the light of eternity, not in our lifetimes. We need to keep this in mind as we labor for the Lord. The harvest is at the end of the age, not at the end of the meeting. God’s timing is not our timing.

Whatever our source of discouragement, God understands and He cares. But He doesn’t coddle us or let us stay there.

2. God’s word to us when we are discouraged in serving Him is to persevere (2:4a).

Three times the Lord repeats, “Be strong!” (“Take courage!”) And He tells them to work. Keep going! Persevere! There are two aspects to this kind of perseverance: an attitude and an action.

1. PERSEVERANCE REQUIRES THE RIGHT ATTITUDE: BE STRONG!

Have you ever noticed how much your attitude affects your ability to persevere? If you’re motivated, you can stay up all night on some project. But if you get discouraged, you procrastinate and never get around to finishing it.

We hear about many pastors burning out and quitting the ministry. While in some cases the cause of burnout is not properly managing one’s schedule, often the real cause is an attitude of discouragement because of setbacks or disappointments. 70 percent of pastors constantly fight depression. Eighty percent of pastors and 84 percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their ministries. As Americans, we’re far too emotionally fragile. Someone offends us, so we get our feelings hurt and drop out of service. Someone doesn’t do what we had expected, so we quit. Someone criticizes what we’re doing, and we say, “I’m out of here!”

But God says, “Be strong!” We aren’t to be strong in our own strength, of course, but in God’s strength (2 Cor. 3:5). But, be strong! Have the attitude that hangs in there in spite of obstacles. The real question is not how do we see things, but how does God see things? If we have not factored God into the equation, we don’t see things in the right perspective. (the 12 spies)

1. PERSEVERANCE REQUIRES THE RIGHT ACTION: WORK!

The attitude provides the motivation, but motivation without work won’t get the temple built. Joshua and Caleb had the right attitude of trust in the Lord. But they still had to go into the land and fight the giants. Much of the Lord’s work is far more perspiration than inspiration! To persevere we must not only be strong; we also must work. Thus, God encourages us in our service for Him by showing that He understands what we’re feeling and He cares. His word to us is, “Be strong and work!” Finally,

3. God assures us when we are discouraged in serving Him by His presence, His promise, and His prophecy (2:4b-9).
4. GOD ASSURES US WHEN WE ARE DISCOURAGED IN SERVING HIM BY HIS PRESENCE (2:4B).

After telling Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the people to be strong and to work, God adds, ‘“For I am with you,’ says the Lord of hosts.” The assurance of His presence should lift our discouragement and enable us to press on.

After many years of hardship and danger in the heart of Africa, David Livingstone received an honorary doctorate from the University of Glasgow. On that occasion, he said, “Would you like me to tell you what supported me through all the years of exile among people whose language I could not understand, and whose attitude toward me was always uncertain and often hostile? It was this: ‘Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ On those words I staked everything, and they never failed.”

1. GOD ASSURES US WHEN WE ARE DISCOURAGED IN SERVING HIM BY HIS PROMISE (2:5).

“Promise” (2:5) refers to the covenant God made with Israel when they came out of Egypt. He promises them now, as He had then, that His Spirit would go with them and abide in their midst. Therefore, they need not fear.

God has made a better covenant with us than He did with them, the New Covenant, enacted on better promises (Heb. 8:6). Jesus sealed that New Covenant with His own blood. He promised us the indwelling Holy Spirit to be with us forever (John 14:16). When we grow discouraged in our service for Him, we should remember His promise, that He would not leave us as orphans, but would come to us and that in the meanwhile, He has given us the Holy Spirit to enable us to serve Him.

Discussion Questions

Why are so many American Christians “burning out”? Are we too emotionally fragile, or are there other causes?

How can we know if we are too committed to the Lord’s work? Where is the proper balance between work, home, and church commitments?

What discourages you the most in your service for the Lord? How can you prevent and overcome it?

What is a biblical definition of “success” in Christian service?

Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2003, All Rights Reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation