Have you ever been discouraged? I suspect you have been at some time in the past. I know I have been, more than once, and it's not a very happy feeling. I've been discouraged after failing to do as well as I should have done on some important task. I've been discouraged when other people didn't do what they said they would do. I've been discouraged when long-made plans fell apart because of some unforeseen conflict. Discouragement comes in many flavors. I may not know exactly what discouraged you, but I do know how you felt.

God made us with feelings. He gave us a sense of what is right and wrong. Whether we’re discouraged because of ourselves or someone else's behavior, we all need encouragement from time to time.