Apr 10, 2014
Looking Beyond Disappointment
Read | John 11:3-6
When disappointments come your way in life, it is easy to blame both yourself and others. Frequently it’s difficult to know what to say or do, because you cannot quite identify the real cause or purpose of the letdown.
Disappointment is often an emotional response to our own failure—or someone else’s—to achieve a desire, hope, dream, or goal. This can lead to losing faith in a person on whom we were depending, possibly even a loved one.
The gospel of John tells us that Jesus loved Martha, her sister Mary, and their brother Lazarus. Because of this, the two women didn’t sense the need to tell the Lord anything more than “He whom You love is sick” (John 11:3). Their expectation was that as soon as Jesus heard these words, He would come and heal their brother. But the Lord didn’t set out for two more days.
When Martha met Jesus, she was disappointed because He hadn’t come right away, and His delay allowed Lazarus to die. She didn’t see His purpose.
But truly, God does have a reason for the disappointments He allows in our life. He could prevent them, but He wants us to discover His purpose. His desire is that we will operate out of trust and let our circumstance bring glory to Him (John 11:4, 25).
When disappointments come, will you be stalled and derailed from the Lord’s will for your life? Or will you find yourself beginning to understand His purpose so you can learn from those situations? The right response is simply to trust Him.
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