Derrick,

Even though your letter, posted last week, was to Fay,

http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/may2022/derrickd51.htm

I found it very encouraging to me!

You had written, "so I just soldier on".

And also, "but when I hear that just one person, like yourself, was edified and blessed by it,

it really is encouraging and let’s me know I’m still on the right track".

And finally, "but I am just trying to be faithful in the little things and occupy until He comes".

Those are such powerful words, and super encouraging.

To encourage is to put courage into someone, and you have done that.

When David and his men came back to Ziklag, to find their wives and children taken, his men were so broken and discouraged,

that they even talked of stoning David.

David, as a great leader, knew that his men needed encouragement in order to get back up and go get their families back.

So, in order to encourage them, he knew that he first needed to be encouraged:

I Samuel 30:6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

Although David encouraged himself in the LORD, I really believe that the source and driving force behind David's encouragement, was the LORD.

That way, the encouraged leader could then encourage his men, and then they could do what they needed to do.

The same thing happened with Israel, before, when they needed to be encouraged to take the promised land from the Canaanites:

Deuteronomy 1:21 Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.

And the LORD told Moses to encourage Joshua, who would lead them:

Deuteronomy 1:38 But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.

Deuteronomy 3:28 But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.

First Moses encouraged the people, and then he explicitly encouraged Joshua:

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

  7 And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.

  23 And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.

Then the LORD encouraged Joshua, who would lead them:

Joshua 1:6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

  7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

  9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Then even the people encouraged Joshua, who would lead them:

Joshua 1:18 Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.

Joshua, as a good leader, was then able to encourage the people, when they needed it:

Joshua 10:25 And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.

Joshua 23:6 Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;