I believe that we can love and serve the Lord, and still find ourselves discouraged at times. It has nothing to do with our faith, trust, or belief in God. It is not the work of the devil, as some would suggest. It simply comes from our humanity. At some point, if it has not happened already, I am sure that we will all find ourselves feeling discouraged. Life has a way of presenting one challenge after another. Sometimes, before we can get over one difficulty, another one arises. This is true even as we try to serve the Lord. There are times when we find ourselves faced with nothing but obstacles. These are the times when we must learn how to encourage ourselves in the Lord. We should never allow ourselves to feel isolated or alone. In 1 Kings 19:14, we find these words:  

“He replied again,  “‘I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.’”

Elijah, himself, is feeling discouraged because his life is being threatened. He tells the Lord all that he has done for Him – all the many battles he has won for the Lord. The Lord answers him and tells him what he must do. Elijah then realized that he had taken his eyes off God,  thinking of the victories he had  and not the victories he had because of God. Nevertheless, although Elijah was discouraged, the Lord continued to use him. This is a good story for us to remember whenever we feel discouraged. In those times, we need to go to God and ask Him to renew our strength. In those moments of despair, God will send just what we need to revive our spirits. He will renew our strength, take away our discouragement, and continue to use us for His glory.