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There is an account in 1 Samuel 30 where David was said to have been greatly distressed. I think those words are a bit of an understatement since he found himself in the situation where his own men were threatening to stone him to death, but the verse ends with these words, “but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”
What an amazing example for us when we find ourselves discouraged and distressed! Of course we know that it is God that truly does the work of encouragement through His power and His spirit, but what I think this passage means is that David knew how to seek and access and apply the encouragement of the LORD. Do we know how to do this?
Are we – like David – able to encourage ourselves in the LORD?
We must be able to Encourage ourselves before we can encourage others – and I love how Scripture gives us the example of David’s friend Jonathan doing this very thing. Let’s not miss that we know that David knew how to strengthen and encourage himself in the LORD – we saw that example above – but we all need encouragement at times. Even David had times when he needed a friend to remind him how to seek the LORD, how to access God’s strength, and how to apply the encouragement of the LORD to his own discouraged heart.
1 Samuel 23 tells about David hiding from Saul. Though David never lost faith, he was struggling with fear and discouragement as we all do from time to time – especially in the face of difficulty or danger. Jonathan, the son of David’s enemy, risked life and the favor of his father to go to his friend in time of need. The passage says that Jonathan, “went to David and helped him find strength in God.”
If David needed encouragement from a friend – well then friend – so do you and I. And so do our friends!
This example of encouragement should always be our goal in encouraging others. We should not encourage people to find strength in themselves, their circumstances, other people, or in us – true encouragement is to find strength in God alone.
We find many other examples in Scripture of people strengthening and encouraging others in the LORD – lets look at 3 biblical ways we can do just that!
The first way we can strengthen and encourage others in the LORD is to:
1. Point Them to Jesus
And I love the way we see this in the most unlikely person – the woman at the well
In John 4 Jesus has a divine encounter with a Samarian women. She is surprised that Jesus opens a conversation with her and he uses the opportunity to reveal Himself to her. We see the transformation that happens immediately in her life when she rushes back to town and can’t help but to tell everyone about her experience!
Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him.John 4:28-30
Can you see what is happening here? This woman has found new life – and strength and hopen- from an encounter with Jesus! Her focus is no longer on her circumstances but on Jesus Himself! And now – she is pointing others to him! Come see!
God is so good to show us the result of her enthusiasm:
Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”John 4:39-42
This unlikely evangelist – just a woman who experienced the power of God in her life through meeting Jesus herself – shared that news with others – and they went to meet him and came to know Him themselves!
When we point to Jesus – when we share with others the hope and strength and encouragement we have received from Him – they are invited to come and experience the same for themselves!
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Is there someone in your life today who might need to hear about how God has comforted you?
Is your story pointing to Jesus?
The people the Samaritan Women pointed to Jesus were able to go to Him themselves – but there are times when a person can’t seem to get there on their own. Many things can prevent a person from going to Jesus to seek His comfort – depression, anger, bitterness, to name a few – but if they are willing, we can
2. Carry them to Jesus
When I hear the story of the man on the mat in Luke 5, it reminds me of a time that I was “paralyzed” with depression. It was a very difficult time in my life – I wasn’t without faith, but I was struggling to seek, access, and apply the encouragement of the LORD for myself. I had godly friends at that time that carried me – through their comfort and encouragement – to the feet of Jesus. In their company, I found the encouragement I needed to heal.
I am struck by the phrase that Jesus offers when this group goes to extreme lengths to get their friend to Him.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”Luke 5:20
Did you hear that? Jesus saw “their” faith! Friend – your faith cannot save someone else – but your faith might be just what someone else needs to get them to the feet of Jesus – and once they are there – their own faith – and the compassion of their LORD will do the rest of the work.
Can you think of someone who knows the LORD but is struggling to see Him past their circumstances? How can you carry a corner of their mat – how can you get them to the feet of Jesus?
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.Galatians 6:2
We can only carry each other’s burdens as far as to the feet of Jesus.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”Matthew 11:28-30
We can point to Jesus with our own changed lives, we can carry to Jesus those who believe but cannot get themselves to Him, but there are also times when we are called to:
3. Walk With Them to Jesus
Acts 8 gives us the story of Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch.
Philip was in the midst of doing the work God had given him to do. This is an important detail.
When we are obedient to the calling God has given us – He puts us where we need to be to walk alongside those who need His encouragement.
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.1 Peter 3:15
There are 2 important points here:
1. Revere Christ as Lord – in your heart – encourage and strengthen yourself in the LORD – know Him, follow Him – Look to Him.
2. Be prepared – know how you seek, access, and apply the encouragement of the LORD and be ready to help others do so
Philip was ready.
As Philip was doing the work God had given him to do – Scripture tells us that the Spirit led him to the chariot of this Eunuch. And as he obeyed he heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. So he struck up a conversation about what the eunuch was reading. He met the man where he was and was able to participate in the work God was already doing! The man invited Philip to travel with him and explain what he was reading. That very day the Eunuch accepted Jesus and was baptized!
How exciting to be used in that way! We too can be used like that – we can walk alongside those that are seeking the LORD and help to guide them to Him.
Friends, these 3 ways of strengthening and encouraging others in the LORD – Point to Jesus, Carry them to Jesus, Walk with them to Jesus – each of them are nothing without Him.
We cannot do the work of encouragement in our own strength!
In 1 Corinthians Paul explained some of the ways we can be used –
I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.1 Corinthians 3:6-9
I might be the one planting the seed – pointing someone to Jesus,
or perhaps I will get to water the seed – carrying them to Jesus or walking alongside them to Jesus,
But only God makes it grow – true encouragement and strength comes from the LORD!
If we are focused on Him and willing to be used – oh friend! Prepare to be amazed at what He will do!