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Tuscany, Italy. Photo by Charles F. Stanley.
Daily Devotion

The Trap of Discouragement

Trust God through life's disappointments—He will bring good from everything that touches your life.

July 11, 2025

Habakkuk 1:2-5

Do you ever feel stuck in discouragement?  If so, you are not alone.

At some point, everyone experiences dashed hopes. Disappointment is a normal initial reaction. But if it’s allowed to linger, it can turn into discouragement that hovers like a dark, heavy cloud.

The circumstances that trigger these emotions may be unavoidable, but how we respond is a choice. Either we can let sadness overwhelm us or we can face the situation with courage and bring it before the One who can help (Deut. 31:6). Living in discouragement divides the mind, making it hard to focus on anything besides our pain. Then as anger becomes habitual, we’ll look for someone to blame—God, people around us, or ourselves.

Frustration that isn’t handled well may develop into despair. In a fog of discouragement, it’s easy to make poor decisions based on bruised emotions instead of truth. Obviously, choosing this self-destructive path is not God’s best for us.

Though we all face disappointment from time to time, believers are not to wallow in it. Instead, God wants us to trust Him with everything—even unmet expectations and sadnesses. Remember, there is divine purpose for everything He allows to touch His children’s lives.

Bible in One Year: Proverbs 13-15

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