Prov. 24:10

“If you become discouraged in the day of distress, Your strength will be meager.”

Discouragement is like a black hole. It drags you in and squeezes the breath out of you. It can feel impossible to do anything when in a state of discouragement. It’s like it is all you can do to just breathe.

It is so true that our strength will be meager when we become discouraged.

But that is not the real point of this scripture.

In the original Hebrew, the term “become discouraged” can be translated “to lose courage”. It describes an inner collapse or loss of resolve rather than mere physical tiredness. In the older NWT, it is translated “Have you shown yourself discouraged?”

So what is the point?

The original text implied that our attitude has something to do with it. We are not forced into being discouraged in times of distress, we let ourselves become discouraged. We lose our resolve and our courage.

This further implies that with Jehovah’s help, we can maintain courage and fight becoming consumed with discouragement. We might think of ourselves as a soldier courageously standing his ground against the enemy, refusing to give an inch no matter how fiercely he is attacked.

Of course, there are issues like depression and grief that go beyond ‘just snap out of it’. You may have to fight much harder in those situations, and sometimes you just won’t win the battle. But you can still win the war by relying on Jehovah.

The apostle Paul said at 2 Corinthians 12:10, “For when I am weak, then I am powerful.” Why was he powerful? Because of the “power of the Christ”.

At Phil 4:13 he said, “For all things I have the strength through the one who gives me power.”

What does that look like when discouragement surges at 2:13 a.m.? One simple practice: name it and reach. Pray a sentence you can actually remember (“Jehovah, hold my grip”), text one trusted friend, and read one anchored verse out loud. It’s not denial; it’s refusing to give discouragement the last word.

If we allow ourselves to become discouraged, it will sap our strength right when we need it most.

Don’t allow it. Even in times of distress. Take courage and fight it like the enemy it is. And, above all, supplicate and rely on Jehovah.