“I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” – Psalm 34:1
Have you ever been disappointed? I have. It could have been in a product I purchased that didn’t deliver as it promised. It could have been in an unmet expectation. It could have been through a friend who didn’t follow-through on a commitment, or even in myself for not measuring up to something. Disappointments come in many shapes and sizes, and often, people (including myself!) allow their lives to be governed by them.
An early morning disappointment can frame our entire day. Our minds continually review the disappointment, and it festers and consumes our thoughts. Sometimes disappointment lingers for days, and turns into something even more harmful… anger and resentment. Disappointment reveals itself in our faces, our words, and our actions. It becomes so domineering that we often forget all the positive things in our lives, and our testimony for Jesus can be negatively impacted.
It’s important to remember that no matter what the reasons for the disappointment, God continues to hold us in His hand, and His plans for us will come to fruition. Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” There is no disappointment in life that can thwart God’s plans for those of us who belong to Him. We need to trust Him to uphold us and continue His good work in us as He promised in Philippians 1:6.
Additionally, God can use any disappointment we encounter to strengthen our faith and help us learn to depend upon Him more. Romans 8:28 states, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Whatever befalls us, good or bad, God uses it for His good will and purpose in our lives. Romans 15:13 gives us the key to turning our disappointments into joy. “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” Trust Him to do as He says in His Word and praise Him for it!
God has also given us directions on how to eliminate the aftereffects of disappointment. The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” I frequently must ask myself, “Am I focusing on these things, or am I focusing solely on the disappointments of life?”
There is a song I learned as a child that speaks of putting Jesus and others before yourself in your life. When disappointment controls me, I realize I have put myself before everyone else. The focus is on me! I am disappointed; I have been slighted; I have been let down; I have failed. Do you notice the commonality in those four statements? It is the word “I”. When we make Jesus first and others second in our hearts and lives, the disappointments we face impact us less than when we place ourselves in first place. It’s not the easiest thing to do because our pride wants to make us number one, but the One who truly could claim that number one position humbled Himself and chose to become a servant (Philippians 2:5-8) because of His great love for us. We must strive to follow His example, becoming humble in heart and willing sacrifices to God, which is our reasonable service (Romans 12:1).
Jesus and others and you
What a wonderful way to spell joy!
Jesus and others and you
In the life of each girl and each boy.
“J” is for Jesus for He has first place,
“O” is for others you meet face to face.
“Y” is for you in whatever you do.
Put yourself third and spell JOY.
(from “JOY” by Bud Metzger & Sally Lewis)
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.” Proverbs 3:5-7
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I will praise You, Lord Jesus, in the good times as well as in the bad. I will praise You at all times!!
Timely devotion today as I was met with a technology disappointment first thing this morning. At 5:30 each weekday morning, I join some friends in a “zoom” walking video. I enjoy this as it gets my heart pumping and energizes my body for the day ahead. Well today, I was unable to login for some unknown (to me) reason, so I was not able to begin my day with the walk. I was quite frustrated and disappointed for a bit, but then remembered that I could walk on my own outside and enjoy the early morning sunrise and sounds of nature. What I thought was a terrible beginning to my day, became a blessed, peaceful time with God’s creation. He is so good!
Thank you, Jayne, for this challenging devotion. How precious is God’s Word!
I appreciate the picture of the beautiful rainbow. God is SO GOOD!
Philippians 4:8 is a powerful verse.