disappointment Archives - Thoughts about God

The Midnight Hour

Devotionals — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 08:08:10 +0000

“But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” Psalm 22:3

A few years ago, a popular Christian song depicted Paul and Silas at the midnight hour standing in a Roman prison cell, beaten, battered, and abandoned. Yet, their voices, singing praise to God, could be heard above the other prisoners’ sounds of despair.

As I imagined Paul and Silas’ bloody and bruised hands lifted in genuine heartfelt praise to God, I longed to have a heart that would praise him despite the circumstances. I pleaded for God to develop such a heart within me.

During that time, my thirteen-year-old daughter, April, suffered from curvature of the spine. Her condition worsened to the degree that it required surgery to prevent life-threatening heart or lung damage. My husband and I researched the doctor and knew he had performed the surgery multiple times. After the surgery, April would be in severe pain for an extended period of time. God had impressed it upon my heart to do a Bible study about suffering. I thought God was preparing me to help April endure the suffering she’d experience after surgery. But he had a different purpose.

April never woke up after that surgery. That began the most difficult journey of my life — learning to live without her. At times when I was drowning in grief, I’d praise God for the moments I shared with April.

Instead of focusing on what I’d lost, I’d focus on what we’d had. Through that journey, I’ve learned our strength to enduring difficult times doesn’t come from within ourselves but from God who inhabits the praises of his people.

Dear Lord, in the midst of suffering, help me find the boldness to praise you anyway knowing that you are in control, are always there, and care about me. Thank you for your love and mercy for me. Amen.

By Veda Lucas
Used by Permission

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The post The Midnight Hour can be found at Thoughts about God.

The Trap of Discouragement

Devotionals — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 09:01:48 +0000

“How long, O LORD, will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, “Violence!” Yet You do not save.” Habakkuk 1:2

Do you feel stuck in discouragement? If so, you are not alone.

At some point everyone experiences dashed hopes. Disappointment–an emotional response to a failed expectation–is the normal initial reaction. But allowed to linger, it can turn into discouragement, which hovers like a dense cloud. When that’s the case, there is no sense of joy or contentment, no matter what you do.

The circumstances that trigger these emotions may be unavoidable, but the way we respond is a choice. We can either let sadness overwhelm our souls or face the situation with courage and bring it before the One who can help us.

Living in discouragement will divide the mind, making it hard to focus on anything besides our pain. Then as anger becomes habitual, we’ll look for someone to blame–whether God, people around us, or our self.

Frustration that isn’t handled well may develop into depression, which in turn can estrange us from others–people do not enjoy the company of someone who’s bitter and defeated. This isolation leads to a low self-esteem. Finally, in a fog of discouragement, we can make poor decisions based on crushed emotions instead of truth. Obviously, choosing this self-destructive path is not God’s best for our lives.

Though we’ll all face disappointment from time to time, believers are not to wallow in it. Instead, God wants us to trust Him with everything–even our unmet expectations and deepest sadness.

Remember, there is divine purpose for everything He allows to touch His children’s lives (Romans 8:28).

By Dr. Charles Stanley
used by permission

http://www.intouch.org/

Dealing with Discouragement

Devotionals — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 08:01:14 +0000

No matter what our position in life may be, we all at times encounter disappointment—

and that can quickly lead to discouragement.

Disappointment is simply an emotional response to a failed expectation or hope, whether because plans went awry or someone didn’t measure up. But discouragement is a state of mind in which we become faint-hearted and lose confidence in God, ourselves, or others.

When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, its inhabitants were discouraged—the city wall had been destroyed, leaving them vulnerable to their enemies, and there were significant hindrances to rebuilding. But he encouraged them to start, explaining that the Lord had shown him favor by moving the Persian king’s heart to approve the project. Nehemiah’s confidence in God replaced the people’s despair and lethargy with the hope of success and motivation to work diligently.

We have a choice: Either settle into disappointment and accept our discouragement or—like Nehemiah—focus on the Lord, who is greater than any problem facing us. Although obstacles and disappointments may remain, God’s Word shifts our hope to His promises, good purposes, proven faithfulness, and sufficiency . With His strength, we can persevere. Romans 15:4 “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope”.

Nehemiah 2:11-20

11 So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12 And I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God was putting into my mind to do for Jerusalem and there was no animal with me except the animal on which I was riding. 13 So I went out at night by the Valley Gate in the direction of the Dragon’s Well and on to the Refuse Gate, inspecting the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were consumed by fire. 14 Then I passed on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was no place for my mount to pass. 15 So I went up at night by the ravine and inspected the wall. Then I entered the Valley Gate again and returned. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; nor had I as yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials or the rest who did the work. 17 Then I said to them, You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach.” 18 I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king’s words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, Let us arise and build.” So they put their hands to the good work. 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard it, they mocked us and despised us and said, What is this thing you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” 20 So I answered them and said to them, The God of heaven will give us success; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no portion, right or memorial in Jerusalem.”

By Dr. Charles Stanley
Used by Permission

Great Expectations

admin — Sun, 05 Sep 2021 08:03:09 +0000

“Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.’ Proverbs 3:5&6

I don’t understand God sometimes!

To be honest, it’s really most of the time.

Why doesn’t He clearly reveal Himself to me? Why does He often leave me guessing at who He is and what He is doing? You see, I have these great expectations about God and what He could and should do. And I get frustrated and disillusioned when I don’t see Him behaving like I think my God should. . .

My husband had a cousin who finally found love at the age of 40 and married a man who had lost his wife to cancer. He had three children, who longed to have a mother again. They had prayed for three long years and she was their answer!

Her wedding was such an amazing celebration – so full of life and joy. But only 3 months later we were in that very same church holding her funeral. Her husband and her children were devastated! And I found myself questioning God . . . It seemed so senseless and even cruel! How could there be any good in this?

When my son was in High School he experienced an incredible amount of loss and disappointment in a 6 month period. And as a result, he became disillusioned with God. I begged God to show Himself to my son, “He needs to see You and know that You love him. Will You just prove to him that you are God?” But it didn’t happen that way and my son struggled in his faith.

Why does God do that? Why doesn’t He feel compelled to meet our expectations? After all He is God! You would think that because He wants everyone to come to Him, He would be out and about proving who He was and what He could do. So why doesn’t he do that?

As I was reading my Bible one day, I came upon a passage that echoed this struggle I was having with God.

Jesus was speaking to His followers and He was explaining to them that He was the Bread of Life. Look at his controversial words, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day.” John 6:53-54 (NLV)

Really!! Who wouldn’t be confused by those words?

It goes on to say that many of his disciples said, “This is hard to understand, how could anyone accept it?”

Many of his followers turned their backs on Jesus that day and so He turned to his twelve disciples and asked them if they were going to leave Him too?

Look at Peter’s reply, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69 NLV)

Do you see it?

Peter says, “WE BELIEVE and we KNOW you are the Holy One of God.”

I believe what Peter is saying here is that even though we don’t understand You . . . even though You aren’t meeting our expectations of what we think a Messiah should be . . . even though we can’t see the Way we will TRUST you.

And I love what he says right before that statement. “Lord, to whom would we go?”

Times without number I have heard Peter’s words echoed by other followers of Jesus in times of disillusionment, “Where would we go? How could we ever walk this road without Him?”

I’ve come to the conclusion that we cannot compel God to prove who He is. He will do it in His time and in His way.

And His WAY is the way of faith.

So when I am disillusioned because my God is not meeting my expectations, I CHOOSE to believe, to trust that His way is good.

And I turn my eyes back to the Cross. . .

For how can I question His goodness, when He willing laid down His life for me?

By Kristi Huseby
Used by Permission

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The post Great Expectations can be found at Thoughts about God.