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In 2016 I wrote an article on discouragement that became one of the most popular posts on my blog that year. I was overwhelmed by the response. It is easy to forget that everyone, at some point in their lives, encounters moments of discouragement. I like to think of them as times of “courage deflation.” You’ve enjoyed success and positive circumstances, but suddenly things (or people) start to turn against you. Feelings of sadness, anger, and frustration well up, and you begin to wonder if you’ll ever really succeed. Sometimes you wonder why you even tried in the first place. Discouragement can easily become devastating.

That’s why I decided to turn that blog post into a devotional. It is meant to help you face your discouragement with faith and hope. It is designed to give you a deeper understanding of the reasons why discouragement arises. My desire is for you to handle your discouragement well. I wish I could prevent you from experiencing it in the first place, but the reality is that discouragement will come, often when you least expect it. I have prepared this devotional as a journey we can embark on together. I hope it will give you the courage you need for the life God has called you to live.

Each day you will read some thoughts on discouragement and how to address it from a biblical perspective. You will be given some personal reflection questions to answer. I encourage you to use a journal to write your thoughts and ideas. I have also provided some action steps at the end of each section that will help you find practical ways to walk through discouragement.

Let’s allow Christ to refine us, so that discouragement doesn’t define us.

Andy Gabruch

>> Download Devotional by clicking here.