Morning Devotions from the Edges – Discouragement, Distractions, and Despair

From the Edges – Morning Devotions 3-1-2024
Pastor Calvin Cook
LENT – DAY 15 Discouragement, Distractions and Despair
Scripture focus – Romans 12:1-2 ‘Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. ‘

Not sure which should come first this morning. Dealing with discouragement or the distraction that caused the discouragement put me into despair. They seem to work in tandem, can’t have one without the other one. Is it discouragement that causes us to be distracted by the situations outside the realm of God. Or are we distracted, drawn away from God and become discouragement which drops us off on despair street with no ride home.

The continual reminder of the Israelites throughout the Old Testament is what keeps revisiting my mind. How they could have had a much better life if they did not allow distraction and discouragement of their earthly condition to guide them and enable them to be distant from a God who wanted to love them and care for them. I think I just described our human condition today, we become discouraged because we have been distracted by the evil and the present state of life into a pit of despair.
Think of the examples in the Bible of those who called out to the Lord in despair – Moses, King David, Jonah, Peter, the thief on the cross. Despair is the complete loss of hope. Circumstances and situations press in on us to the extent that we cannot see a way out.

When we allow fear and uncertainty to take control, discouragement and hopelessness is next. The apostle Paul knew firsthand what that was like, we read his feelings and heart in 2 Corinthians 4:8, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair.” Paul could suffer so many hardships yet not despair because his hope was not based on earthly circumstances.

There lies the key, the root of the situation. Of where our hope is and how we deal with the times of discouragement that lead us to despair because of the distractions of the world and the things that we allow to consume us.

Romans 12:1-2 tells us that this will only change when we enter with a pure heart devoted to worship, presenting ourselves, our day our everything to the lord as a living sacrifice and to not be conformed to the patterns and distractions of the world. Our renewal will come in Christ Jesus. This is God’s will for us, this is not the will of the world, or others, this is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

My prayer is simple today – May I allow you to happen Lord, Amen