disappointment

God is Good All the Time

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I remember when I was around twelve years old, my mom told me that I was old enough to start having daily devotions. So I went into my dad’s office to look for a devotional book. I remember the one I selected. It talked about the Trinity. And that’s how I became more familiar with the roles of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. After that, I started making a habit of reading my Bible every day.

Through the years, I would use select devotional books and other devotional guides. But for the past five years, I have read the Bible through each year. For a couple of years, I read through the Bible Recap. Then for the next two years, I read through two different chronological Bibles. For the past year, I followed a chronological guide on the Bible reading app.

I decided that for this year I needed to try a different approach to my devotions. I love reading through the Bible chronologically each year, but I wanted to slow the pace and focus on fewer passages of Scripture. I’m doing a study called Christ in all of Scripture. I’ve only finished three weeks of the study, but it definitely slows me down to read the same select Scripture all week long.

The study this week focused on the first chapter of Genesis. Since I’ve read the story of creation multiple times, I knew what to expect. It tells how God created the earth and everything on it in six days. And at the end of each day, he looked at what he created and saw that it was good. He liked what he had created. It was all still in its purest form, like a newborn babe. Then he made man to rule over the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the wild animals of the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground. At the end of the sixth day, he looked at the man of his creation and saw that it was very good. Man wasn’t just good. He was very good.

It got me to thinking that since God saw that all of his creation was good, it’s a reminder that He too is good all the time. Even when times of discouragement and dread overtake us, God is still good. Our circumstances don’t dictate the goodness of God. Our situations can change unexpectedly, but that doesn’t mean that God changes. He is always consistent and his ways are higher than our ways. For this I am thankful. He is the author of life, and he dictates when it begins and ends.

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you. Deuteronomy 31:8

Can we still praise God when our world has turned upside down? We might ask what’s there to give praise for when our whole world has collapsed. It’s easy to say that God is good all the time when times are good. But when times of trouble come our way, why do we suddenly question him? Why does doubt suddenly creep in? Has God changed? No. Our circumstances have. And yes. God is the author of life. He’s the giver and taker of life. He knows everything about us and what’s ahead before we do. He knows when we fail him and when we doubt him. His love for us never changes. Regardless of what we’re facing, God is with us.

We may think that God is not present in our lives when trouble comes our way. But does the sun fail to exist when it’s covered by clouds? Just because the sun isn’t shining doesn’t means there’s no sun. Does the moon die every day when daylight hits the skies? No. And God still exists and sees us even when he’s silent in the middle of our need.

When we’re going through a difficulty, it might be time to ask what we can learn from the situation instead of how to get out of it. Instead of focusing on ourselves and what we want, we need to shift our mindset to making sure we’re pleasing God with our thoughts, attitudes, and actions. The situation may not change. Even if it does, it may not be in our complete favor. But God is still good, and he’s still in control. He surrounds us with his presence. He is our hiding place. Let’s run to him instead of to something else that numbs our heart and mind.

God goes before us and he walks behind us. He hovers over us and encircles us with his presence. God is our ever present help in times of trouble.

You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Psalm 139:5

He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. Deuteronomy 32:10

You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah Psalm 32:7

Thank you for your faithfulness, Father. In the middle of trouble. In the storm of uncertainty. Lord, you’re the one thing we count on. Every day your faithfulness carries us through. ~Brian Doerksen

Disappointment

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I’m disappointed. In people. When they say something or do something. Or they don’t say something or don’t do something. They don’t meet my expectations. And most of the time, I didn’t realize I had those expectations until they aren’t met. People are so disappointing. They can’t read my mind. They don’t know what I want. They don’t know when my feelings get hurt. They don’t know me. And yet they disappoint me.

It hurts when you trust someone and they fail miserably. Their words or acts cross a line that you didn’t know was drawn. But once the line is drawn, it’s obvious that you’re hurt. And now there are feelings to deal with. Emotions are bubbling. Trust is cracked wide open. And now what?

Maybe that person has gone too far. Or not far enough. We thought they liked blue, but instead they love red. We assumed they were a chocolate lover, when all the while they’re craving nachos. We naturally assume that they would always agree with our opinions, when they very much have their own much different opinions. Now the differences are out in the open. What is one to do?

People will disappoint us. They’re human. I’m human. I’m sure I’ve disappointed way too many people. And I’m most likely oblivious to it unless it’s been pointed out to me.

Only God is truly good. Mark 10:18

People. We can’t put our trust and hope in people. We need someone who is more than mere human. We need the One who created humans. We need someone who is bigger and better than us. We need an Almighty God who loves us. Who provides for us. Who leads us in truth. Who says those difficult words to us and performs acts that we don’t understand. But all the while He’s doing it, he knows that in the end it is for our good. He allows things that seem downright unnecessary and awful to impact our comfortable little lives. But he knows that if we just keep our eyes on him, that he is there for us. All the time. Things don’t always have to be pretty or perfect for God to be with us. It doesn’t mean that God isn’t good.

And sometimes those things that God allows disappoint us. Sometimes God disappoints us by not answering that prayer that we knew was just the perfect answer. Or he doesn’t provide that job that would have solved a lot of our problems. Or he doesn’t cure that incurable disease. But that doesn’t mean he’s bad or doesn’t love us. He’s working out everything for our good.

Disappointment is a mean thing. It can eat you alive and turn into bitterness and resentment. It can cause even more disappointment when we can’t find our way out of it.

The thing is. We can’t avoid people. No matter how hard we try, people are everywhere. They’re in public places. They’re at work. They’re at church. They’re in our homes. Oh sure. These past few months, we’ve all been quarantined at home, but people still exist. Through emails and texts. Facetime and Zoom calls. They are still disappointing, even if we’re not together in person.

And we think we can avoid God. But he is still here. He’s all around us. Every day. Oh. We may try to ignore him. We may avoid any type of dealing with him. But guess what. He’s still here. He is always waiting for us to reach out to him. Even in our disappointment. He plans for the best for us. Even when circumstances are so difficult, perhaps our focus needs to shift to God’s goodness despite the tough times. God is always good. Even when life is bad. He is a good, good Father.

Disappointed Again

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This person abruptly changed their plans.  Again.  They’re known to do that.  It’s always devastating when it happens.  What I thought would be a peaceful and relaxing afternoon became filled with angst and caution.  I was no longer free to pursue my agenda.  I had to follow theirs.  It would be a long afternoon.

Needless to say, disappointment sat in.  Big time.  Once again, they changed their plans. They didn’t realize that their initial plans fit perfectly into mine.  The change in plans was so disappointing.  I couldn’t even begin to tell them.

I think of the times I’ve disappointed others.  I didn’t attend an event she had planned.  I didn’t eat the food she had prepared.  I couldn’t say the words they wanted to hear.  I said words they never expected to hear me say.  I wasn’t the friend she needed me to be.  I didn’t buy the product they were selling.  I didn’t laugh at the joke.  I laughed when I shouldn’t have.  The list is much longer.  Longer than I care to admit.

I have been disappointed with God.  Yes, I have.  At times when I had asked for specific help, I was let down.  Help that only God could give.  When everything I prayed for happened opposite of how I had prayed.  Why didn’t God come through when I needed him the most?  Why didn’t he protect me from the hardships that kept piling on top of each other?  Where was he?  Couldn’t he see that I was doing my best?  Was this a test?  Would I still trust him when the hardships had ended?  Would the hardships end?

So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.  2 Corinthians 4:16-18

I consider all the things God has done for me.

He asked his only son to die on a cross for me. He suffered.  A lot.  He paid a huge price for my sins.

When I asked God to forgive my sins, he did it.  He knew my sins before they happened and he still forgave me.  When he saw I was sorry for my sins, he forgave me without a second thought.  The best part is that he forgot about those sins.  It’s as if I had never sinned.  That’s how great God is.

God has provided for all my needs.  I have a home.  A job.  Plenty of food.  Good health.  Loving husband.  Great friends.  Wonderful family.  There’s nothing I need.

I have made it through those hardships.  God provided strength to get through them.  He showed mercy when I needed it most.

God has created beauty in this world.  Nature.  Seasons.  Galaxies.  Animals.  Architecture.  Music.  Art.  Books.

God is preparing a place for me to live with him.  He’s getting it ready for me.  I’ve read that it’s out of this world.  So full of beauty.  And some of my loved ones are already there.

How can I be disappointed in a God who did all that for me?  How can I be disappointed in a God how loves me deeply no matter what I do?  How can I be disappointed in a God who is so patient with me?

I remember an old hymn that speaks to my soul.

Christ Is Not A Disappointment
I have found no satisfaction in the fleeting joys of earth 
I had hewn me broken cisterns that had mocked me by their dearth 
All the springs my soul had tested failed to meet my deepest need 
Christ, alone, has met my longing, He has satisfied indeed! 

Chorus 
Christ is not a disappointment! Every longing in my breast 
Finds, in Him, complete fulfillment, He has brought me into rest 
I have tested Him, and proved Him more than all I dreamed He’d be 
Christ is not a disappointment, He is all in all to me! 

I was tempted not to trust Him for so many things had failed 
But so patiently He waited and His tenderness prevailed 
So, I swung my heart’s door open, and His promises I tried 
Christ is not a disappointment, He has fully satisfied! 

I had tried the world for pleasure, but it could not satisfy. 
Though it promised much, it failed me. All its wells and springs were dry… 
Everything I tried was empty, and I thought my life was vain, 
Then, He came and tuned my heartstrings, 
And I learned to sing again. 

Others will fail me.  I will fail others.  Hardships will come.  Hardships will go.  The sun will rise on a tough day.  The sun will set on a beautiful day.  Through the ups and downs of life, I have found it to be true.  Christ is not a disappointment.