I am sure you have heard this old line - "Blessed is the man who expects nothing
for he will never be disappointed!" What a terrible way to live. Do we find ourselves with missed expectations?
Yes, we do, because in this busted world things inevitably go wrong. For example, it’s supposed to be the most awesome
vacation ever, plans meticulously made, and then the day comes. Our flight
delays our departure an entire day. We get to our destination and that hotel
that looked so great in the pictures is a not ‘all that.’ Rain hides the sun
for half the time. It happens. You probably have your own story.
Far worse is the
disappointment that follows the failure of a relationship, when someone whom we
loved and trusted betrays us, or when we find out they are not who they claimed
to be. Many let these things turn them
into bitter, mean, cynical, snarling people. Some take a different path that
leads to an entirely different outcome. Look at this passage from preacher
Isaiah. "Even youths grow tired and
weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will
renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and
not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:30-31) The
Spirit’s wisdom meets us in real life with the acknowledgement that we will
find seasons when we are beat and battered. And there is a promise that follows … they can soar, rising above!
What is the key to rising above the circumstances that could
drag us into misery? As in my opening
line, there are those who advise us to give up on our dreams. There is a time
to adjust our expectations, a time to maturely learn to accept that many
situations are out of our control. There is a lot of wisdom in learning to deal
with life as it is, not as we hoped it might be. If you grew to be 5’5” and think that being 6
feet tall is the only way to happiness, you have an expectation that requires
adjustment! No matter how much I wish it were different, I have to accept that
my wife is gone to Heaven. That part of my life is over.
Still, we cannot throw away every dream, resign to this
present world without hope of change. We must not throw away our desire to see
a better world, to build strong relationships, to experience the joy of deep
and authentic love. God’s dreams for us
are sustained through disappointment IF and WHEN we set our hope in the Lord. In
another familiar translation of the Scripture the verse reads this way, “Wait on the Lord.”
As we live for God, as we learn daily submission to His
will, actively seeking to know His what, how, when, and where, there is a kind
of life that is anchored to a promise that is not subject to people’s whims,
weather’s changes, or economic cycles. That promise is eternal life, secured by
Divine Grace. Paul, who experienced many
years of disappointment, points to an unwavering hope. He does not sugarcoat the high cost of his
commitment to Christ. “It’s the cause of all this trouble I’m in.
But I have no regrets. I couldn’t be more sure of my ground—the One I’ve
trusted in can take care of what he’s trusted me to do right to the end, so
keep at your work, this faith and love rooted in Christ, exactly as I set it
out for you.” (2 Timothy 1:12-13,
Message) “I know Whom I have believed and
that He is able to keep me!”
On this Monday morning is disappointment real, your heart broken,
your spirit crushed? Jesus understands, His heart was broken, too. Take the
sorrow, the ache, to Him. Share it honestly. As you pray, be open to His
comfort and challenge. Here’s a word from the Word. It’s a treasured truth for those who would soar
like an eagle, rising on the currents of hope! "For no matter how many promises God
has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by
us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in
Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in
our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." (2 Corinthians
1:20-22, NIV)
_______
'Tis so sweet to trust
in Jesus
Just to take Him at
His word
Just to rest upon His
promise
Just to know thus
saith the Lord
Jesus Jesus how I
trust Him
How I've proved Him
o'er and o'er
Jesus Jesus precious
Jesus
O for grace to trust
Him more
O how sweet to trust
in Jesus
Just to trust His
cleansing blood
Just in simple faith
to plunge me
'Neath the healing
cleansing flood
Yes 'tis sweet to
trust in Jesus
Just from sin and self
to cease
Just from Jesus simply
taking
Life and rest and joy
and peace
I'm so glad I learned
to trust Thee
Precious Jesus Savior
Friend
And I know that Thou
art with me
Wilt be with me to the
end
Louisa M. R. Stead | William James Kirkpatrick
© Words: Public Domain
Pastor Jerry Scott
FAITH DISCOVERY CHURCH
No comments:
Post a Comment