Applications:
Has someone disappointed you? Remember, you will probably also have disappointed that person at some point. Forgiveness is key. Have you been disappointed by an unrealised goal? Take comfort that the Lord brings good out of bad, and that when one door is closed it can well be because he is going to open another one. King David was disappointed not to make a house for the Lord, but the Lord planned to make a house for him.
In my own life, I was disappointed because I wanted to go to Bible College in Oxford, but was turned down. That was God’s plan, for I was to meet Linda in North London at college, which would never have happened had I gone to Oxford.
Have you felt disappointed by the Lord? Remember, you will probably have disappointed him at some point too. And remember this, that God’s pure and perfect love, is not simply kindness. Kindness is an aspect of love, but does not capture all of what love means. I would not think much of a friend who said to me he didn’t care if I was dishonest, or cheating on my wife, provided I was happy. And God’s love for us is not kindness in the sense that all he cares about is our happiness, rather his love for us is such that he will step in, if we are idolising things we should not, or walking a path that is not good for us. Because we are a work of art.
God does not exist to make us happy, it would be closer to the truth to see it the other way around. We exist to make him happy, or even more accurately, to bring him glory. Lets look at John’s gospel to close. John 21:18
“Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me”
Was Peter disappointed to hear how he was going to die? We don’t know. But his death was to glorify God, just as his life was. You and I may be disappointed in life, but we were created to bring glory to God. And often it will be in the midst of disappointments that we will glorify him the best. Our Lord Jesus’ words to Peter are the same to us. “Follow me.” The Lord of glory simply says, ‘follow me.’
A Prayer for the disappointed:
Lord, we recognise that in a fallen world we will often be disappointed. Help us to see that hopes often are unrealised because you have a greater plan than we, with limited understanding, can see. Forgive us our many sins Lord, and please would you move the hearts of those whom we have disappointed, to forgive us, just as we forgive those who have disappointed us. And Lord, please forgive us where we have felt disappointed by you. The truth is that we must have disappointed you many more times and in many different ways, without even knowing it. Thank you that your love for us means that you will, from time to time, disappoint us. Sometimes you will take our idols from us, because we will not give them up or see them in the right light. But above all Lord, we thank you that your son never disappointed you. And even though he suffered, he never lost faith in you, and you delivered him from death.
Help us to rejoice in our sufferings o Lord, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and ultimately, character produces a hope that does not disappoint us or put us to shame, because your love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit whom you have given to us. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Hey, I've said this before, but I really appreciate your taking the time to read this post. In a busy world with many options before you, you could have been doing anything else. So thanks for stopping by.
May the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and those whom you love, both near at hand, and far away, this day, and always.
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