What does it mean to “be encouraged?“ According to Webster Family Dictionary, “Encourage” means to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence.The Hebrew definition for “Encourage” means -to expect fully- to look (wait) for
So, according to the definitions stated above, “to be encouraged” means while you are fully expecting for an expected end, be inspired with courage and confidence!
I am reminded of Joshua in Deuteronomy 31 when he was appointed the new leader over Israel he inherited a whole nation. He must of been anxious, thoughts of not being capable of such a great task must have filled him with fear. We’re not talking about managing a few people, but a whole nation, that’s equivalent to maybe the state of New York.
Joshua knows nothing about being a leader, but he know how to follow which made him the perfect candidate to be a leader. He served under Moses faithfully, but now Moses journey must end and the people has been appointed a new leader, Joshua!
Moses understands Joshua’s anxiety and his concerns, so he tells Joshua first in private, “Joshua, while you are waiting for an expected end, do not be afraid of the people but be inspired with courage and confidence, that what God has promised it shall come to pass, so be of good courage!” Deut. 31:6
What about David? David also had to encourage himself, when you look at how his Father and his brothers treated him, we know they didn’t encourage him. When the prophet Samuel came to David’s house to anoint one of Jesse’s sons King of Israel, David’s Father didn’t even consider David a candidate, he didn’t call David into the house and he didn’t mention his name! Wow, some kind of Father!
I bet when David was in the field watching over the sheep, he would encourage hisself by saying things like, “I’m gone be somebody one day, I’m more then a conqueror, one day I will be king of Israel!” I just have to believe that David encouraged himself when there was no one else to do it.
Maybe you need to be encouraged and there’s no one to encourage you, you can’t find it in your spouse, you can’t find it in a friend, not even in a stranger! Do you know you can encourage yourself? Yes, you can, while you are waiting for your expected end, you can be inspired with the spirit of courage and confidence that you will have that expected end! That’s Good News! Moses gave Joshua 10 steps to encourage himself. Deut. 31:6, 12-13
I will show you 10 Steps to Encourage Yourself!
Step 1. Be Strong- To be firm, be courageous, be valiant, to conquer, to seize, hold fast, to gird. this word is frequently used to describe battle scenes. Opposition comes to move you from your post, when it comes stand firm and you seize the moment.
Step 2. Be of Good Courage- To expect fully and to wait for. Don’t give up and don’t give in while you are waiting inspire yourself with the spirit of confidence and courage.
Step 3. Fear Not-The emotion and intellectual anticipation of harm, what one feels may go wrong. All kinds of doubt will try to take precedence over your confidence to conquer and seize the moment, reject it, God has not given us the spirit of fear.
Step 4. Do Not be Afraid-To awe, to dread, to frighten, terrify, to harass, to oppress, to inspire fear or terror. Do not dread failure, do not be terrified or inspired by fear, for what can man do to you, if God be for you, who can be against you?
Step 5. Believe that wherever God sends you, He will go with you! If you are in the will of God, rather it’s Ministry, Business, Housewife, whatever, you must believe that God is with you.
Step 6. Know that God will not fail you-To be slack, be remiss, to be weak,, let fall, to be lazy, despondent, let drop, desert, let alone, abandon, to discourage. You must Know that God is not slack concerning His Promises, He will not let you fall, He will never desert you, abandon you or discourage you!
Step 7. Believe that God will not forsake you- To loosen, relinquish, to set free, to leave, leave behind, to allow to continue as is. God will never release the righteous into the hands of their enemy, He will never leave you behind to be swallowed up, He will never allow you to continue as is, He takes you from glory to glory!
Step 8. Open your ears to Hear- to hear with attention and obedience, to give undivided listening attention, to hear spiritually, to understand what you have heard, to obey. Give God your undivided attention when he speaks, get understanding and obey.
Step 9. Be open to Learn-To study, to be accustomed to, to practice, train, to be taught, instruct, to learn. You must know that God is the Source of all truth, He will never deceive you.
Step 10. Fear God- Reverence, awe, piety. If one truly recognizes God as All-Powerful, this will reflect in one’s attitude and daily life in the form of reverence.
To sum it all up you must Encourage yourself by Faith! Don’t wait for someone else to encourage you, encourage yourself!
“Be Empowered. Be Motivated. Be Educated.”
