Scanning my e-mail inbox, I stopped in excitement when I saw a particular name. As I opened the e-mail, I held my breath in anticipation of what I would see. Waiting to hear about a manuscript I had sent in, I read through the e-mail quickly looking for the publisher’s response. Disappointment flooded my thoughts, however, when I read the letter. While the assessment had been accurate—the manuscript still needed a lot of work—I couldn’t stop the tears from falling from my eyes. I had significant work to do if I intended to proceed further.
Disappointment is a normal, human reaction to an unmet desire. Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.” We were intrinsically designed for hope, but living in a fallen world means facing disappointment. What we do with it makes all the difference.
When Ahab didn’t get the vineyard he wanted, his disappointment took over his emotions—and his life (1 Kings 21:4). Mired in his own frustration, Ahab didn’t look to the Lord for his answer. He had a pity party. Furthermore, his disappointment didn’t affect only him. Vineyard owner Naboth paid a dear price (v.13). Anytime we let disappointment rule our emotions and lives, we’re believing that what we want is more important than anything—or anyone—else.
God wants to bring good things into our lives. As proof, He has offered Himself as the unfailing hope (Romans 10:11). The problem comes when:
• We think we deserve something.
• We make our happiness dependent on whether we get what we want.
In contrast, God asks that we live a life surrendered to and dependent on Him (Psalm 37:3-5).
More:
God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change His mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through? (Numbers 23:19).
Next:
How can disappointment affect our relationships with others? What disappointment is troubling you?
csev on July 17, 2010 at 6:04 am
Being self employed for 10 years this rings so true. It is so hard to see why we don’t get a certain job but some other company does. And as the economy does worst the pool shrinks, it gets harder. I can say that God is teaching me contentment but it is not easy especially being a male and the primary wage earner. Many times I ask God “why”? Why is this happening? Why aren’t you providing more? Why is life so hard? Even as I type these words, I hear in my head “my grace is sufficent for you”. May my heart be conformed to yours oh God! May my life be a offering to You!
loananna on July 17, 2010 at 8:38 am
I too am self-employed and this devotional hit me hard. I have been having a rough time and my husband(also self-employed) we have been working so hard yet nothing seems to improve. I do thank the Lord for the work we have but we grow weary each day and i’m always asking for wisdom. I thought as the older we got we would work less, Wrong. Psalm 37:3-5 hit me like a rock, he spoke to me thru that verse. I needed that today!!
maryanneb47 on July 17, 2010 at 3:05 pm
As I read Psalm 37: 3-5 I thought of when I was self-employed back in the 90’s and then I had to give it up because my husband became worse in his disabilities and he was put on disability because he was to sick to work anymore, then he was put on temporary disability because the job he worked wasn’t considered a job so I had to give up my dream and work a regular job to make ends meet. Now that He passed away and I’m doing what I want to do by helping my son and daughter and my grandchildren to know my Father and receive eternal life as my reward.
cuddles on July 17, 2010 at 7:15 pm
I listen to people who are in similair circumstances to yourselves and usually the Government (UK) gets the blame. Unfortunately in a small close knit community like I live in,job losses tend to have a knock on affect. I do remember my parents talking about what it was like during the war rationing of food and my mother having to smuggle the material for her wedding dress. I think our generation has had it pretty good and the first sign of hardship and we’re gloom and doom. Think of the hard times our parents and grandparents had and they just got on with it and there was a real community spirit (everyone helping each other out)Its possible that God wants us to have this kind of fellowship again which we seem to have lost. I have found life for myself and people around me to be a roller coaster ride and it is a mystery how some people sail through while other have more than their share of troubles but it is for me more about staying the course and although I haven’t a glue what heaven is going to be like I know what it is not going to be like no more suffering or struggling to live is surely something to look forward to.
alanmross on July 18, 2010 at 7:56 am
Thank you for a wonderful reminder of those who endured and believed. My parents lived through the War and I am amazed at the sacrifice and daily challenges.
pri1465 on July 17, 2010 at 10:06 pm
I have found that God always gives us WHAT WE NEED for that particular moment or situation NOT WHAT WE WANT.
A very good example for this is, when I took over the running of the manufacturing unit in my husband’s company 6 years ago. I didn’t know a thing about metal work. I was a computer programmer and not an engineer. I had to take over because the general manager there was stealing and when I took over he left. I didn’t know how to make the quotations. I used to pray and beg God to send me a good engineer but he never did none of the engineers worked out. So I had to learn how to do the quotations etc. About a year later when driving home a voice in my head said ” Now do you see why I didn’t give you an engineer, if you had an engineer you would have never learnt.” God showed me that though he did not give me an engineer, he provided all else for me to learn the work. Good workers who taught me everything, a dependable and trustwrothy office staff, who helped in everything. Some excellent customers who gave me invaluable advise and helped us out with fabrication calculations which I or the workers could not calculate at that I. So now I see GOD GAVE ME WHAT I NEEDED AT THE TIME NOT WHAT I WANTED.
I must also say that pride God the better of me when I learnt some and I though I thought I knew everything and though that it was great that I did so much not being an engineer. Then God pulled me up and gently showed me that I cant do anything without Him. That was a lesson well learnt.
Now I am still running the factory. There is still no engineer. Though all the workers are Buddhists, we pray every morning and ask God to guide us and give us the wisdom and provide for us. Thou sometimes times are hard, God has always seen us through. God has provided the right workers at the right time, He has removed the rogues and the trouble makers. And I thank my Heavenly Father for all His goodness to me.