Scripture Reading: Ezr 4:4 -5
Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Reflections: The Jews broke free from Babylonian captivity by divine intervention. God authorized the heathen king, Cyrus to release them. Back home in Jerusalem they began to build the broken down temple. This did not go down well with their enemies. After failing to use the weapon of getting them to compromise their faith, their next move was to get the people of Israel to become discouraged. To achieve this, they hired people to falsely accuse them. Discouragement is indeed a choice mechanism deployed by the enemy to frustrate people. It is dispiritedness. It crushes your confidence and enthusiasm to accomplish set goals. Refuse to be discouraged in life and carry on with your plans to develop spiritually and to enhance your livelihood.

Prayer: Oh Lord, let me have the power to resist the spirit of discouragement all the time.

Confession: I have no place for the spirit of discouragement in my life.