WHEN LIFE’S CHALLENGES BRING DISAPPOINTMENT 7 JAN 2018
Our heavenly Father has given us another beautiful day of life, & another new year of grace. Are we entering this new year with hope or feeling beat up by life?? So many people are facing such overwhelming situations, and their dreams have turned to disappointments.(A) And either they feel cheated because they feel they don’t deserve this disappointment…or they feel it is some divine payback for something they did in the past. Feeling cheated misses the promises of God to give us good things. And unfortunately, beating oneself up mentally does not improve things. If you have been doing the best you can in life, then this is not God’s payback. Granted, we live in a world of cause & effect, and there are consequences for sin & bad choices.(B)
My observation is that people too often think God is punishing them, when in reality He is simply providing us a test of our faith, & the stimulus to transform ourselves into something better. And if you are using your disappointment to change yourself for the better, then power to you!!! Like 9-11, joy is an inside job. PS:16:11: “In Thy presence is fullness of joy.” It is going to take God in our lives for us to have the ability to meet life’s big disappointments…but the grace & ability are there if we accept His provisions. “Lord, thy will be done. Give us the grace to think on whatever is commendable & lovely. Renew our minds & souls with hope. Thank you for being a shelter in the storms of life.”
DISAPPOINTMENTS ARE DETOURS. “For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”(C) I know of women who married & expected to have children, but were disappointed because cancer prevented their dreams. Another woman I know, had her dreams of a family detoured because of a stroke. We like it when things go according to plan, and we hate it when they don’t. Each of these women I know of, managed to gain more courage, faith & love and rise above the disappointment to embrace the changes and to impact the world in a positive way. You my friend can still make a positive difference. But you will have to embrace whatever changes are demanded by your detour, and be happy & thankful in the Lord. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (PS 51:10) Our hope is in the Lord.(D)
NUM 6:24-26. “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.” Be blessed my friend.
REFERENCES/NOTES. (A) As Word puts it, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick…” PRV 13:12 (B)The disappointments of a sinful life are discussed frequently: DT 28:39, Job 11:20, ISA 17:11, JER 14:19, AMOS 5:11, MICH 6:11, & others (C) 2 COR 4:15-16 (D) 1 PTR 1:21 & many others.
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