God Is Not Discouraged, by Michael Brown

The Scriptures often speak of God being grieved or angry. But they never speak of Him being discouraged. That’s because discouragement is not an “emotion” that exists within the Godhead. How could it? Discouragement would imply despair. Or hopelessness. Or defeat. And all of these emotions — to speak of the Creator in human terms — are totally foreign to Him. Ultimately, in Jesus, they should be foreign to us as well.

Of course, it is only natural that, as human beings, even human beings who have a close relationship with the Lord, we will pass through seasons of discouragement.

The burdens of life overwhelm us. Or our hopes and expectations are not realized. Or our lofty dreams come crashing to the ground. Or things take much longer than expected. Or it seems that there’s just too much suffering and pain. Or we disappoint ourselves, becoming convinced that we will always be failures. Or … you can fill in the blank. There are countless reasons for discouragement, and, in the moment, all of them seem valid. …

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