Discouragement
“Gloom, despair and agony on me” are the words that were sung to introduce a humorous segment on the old “Hee Haw” television show, which was popular in the US for several years in the late 1960’s. You could always count on a few good laughs thereafter. Today, however, the words, without the music, typify the growing feeling of discouragement that so many feel in our increasingly discordant world.
Discouragement has affected people all through time. The children of Israel were no exception in their trek through the wilderness. “Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way” (Numbers 21:4). Just earlier, they had been denied permission to travel through Edom, which would have been a direct route to Moab. Instead, they had to turn southward through some very difficult country with little water and food for their livestock.
They were discouraged. “And the people spoke against God and against Moses: ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread” (Numbers 21:5). They sinned greatly after having allowed discouragement to fester in their minds. They knew the good end that God had promised them, but they lost sight of God in the midst of their trials. Their faith dissolved.
We who comprise spiritual Israel today, the Church, know the spectacular end that God has promised the faithful. We also know that it is very possible, even likely, that we can become discouraged on our journey through the hardships that we encounter as well. Poor health, relational difficulties, dangerous situations or persecution can make for many unplanned and draining hardships on our long journey.
Spiritual Israel, however, has a huge advantage. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). We have Christ as our High Priest through whom we have been cleansed. In Mose’s time, the blood of bulls and goats could never perfect anyone. But the promise of Christ, the perfect sacrifice, is faithful and He strengthens us with His faith.
With Christ’s strength in us, we can encourage each other through whatever we encounter on our long journey to the promise. “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24–25). The faithful advantage is ours to use among ourselves whenever gloom, despair, or agony begin to rear their discordant heads.
Marshall Stiver
