I’m not a strong swimmer, even in a pool. Put me in a relentless, powerful ocean, and I’m simply no match. Once, while swimming off a beach in Hawaii, I drifted far enough that the waves were no longer pushing me toward a safe, sandy beach but rather to sharp, unforgiving rocks. My only choice was to swim back toward the beach, but each wave pushed me further toward what seemed to me a certain rocky grave.
No matter how hard I swam, the next wave would toss me closer to the rocks. I started to panic, but the waves wouldn’t stop. Wave upon wave came at me and I seemed doomed to lose the battle. My muscles and lungs were spent; I was running on mere adrenaline.
Thankfully, I was finally able to calm down, catch my breath, and swim underwater long enough to make it back to safety. However, I’ll never forget the power of the waves that relentlessly beat against me.
You may never have experienced the relentless power of the ocean, but most of us have felt wave after wave of discouragement beating us down while we are at our weakest. When it seems you can’t take any more, when you can’t catch your breath, the waves keep coming and you feel certain you will fail.
Too Weak
All of us, at one time or another, deal with discouragement. Whether we’re facing a difficult situation, struggling with a persistent sin, or simply dealing with the brokenness of the world, at some point we are tempted to give up. In these weak moments, Satan will hit us while we are down. He’ll tell us we are not worthy. He’ll remind us how weak we are, and he’ll tell us we simply can’t do it.
And he’s right.
You’re not strong enough. The forces of evil are too powerful, your will is too weak and your sinful desires too strong. You simply don’t have what it takes.
Modern thinking tells us to look within to find the strength. Culture tells us we are good enough and strong enough. However, the truth is that we are weak, and the only hope we have is supernatural assistance.
God has promised to be near to those who seek him. He doesn’t hide his face when his sheep call out for help. He doesn’t let them wander when they look for direction; he leads them in paths of righteousness to green pastures.
Choose to Obey
God’s promise of his presence and guidance doesn’t mean we’ll always feel it. When waves of discouragement pound against us over and over, we remind ourselves of who God is and what he has promised. However, resting on these truths doesn’t mean we’ll feel immediate relief or that the circumstances will immediately change. The Lord may stretch our faith by bringing us into situations where we have to trust him even when we can’t feel his presence. He may deepen our dependence on him by taking us through the storms, seemingly alone.
But believers are never alone. Even when we can’t sense his presence, he promises he’s always with us.
In The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, a senior demon is instructing a junior demon, Wormwood, on how best to turn his human subject away from the Lord. In one letter he instructs him:
Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.
In these dark times of discouragement, sin promises a thousand pleasures, while obedience feels like drudgery. Indulging in sin for a quick escape will only continue our downward spiral, but obedience brings blessings and, eventually, our feelings catch up to truth.
When waves of discouragement relentlessly pound against you, when God feels far away and his promises seem distant, and when you feel abandoned and don’t know what to do, take the next step of obedience as you wait for your feelings to align with the truth. Even when every trace of him seems to have vanished, choose to obey.
