ENJOY GOD WHILE YOU WAIT!

Some year ago, I heard a book by Philip Yancey entitled Disappointment With God. Philip Yancey has a gift for articulating the knotty issues of faith. In Disappointment with God, he poses three questions that Christians wonder but seldom ask aloud: Is God unfair? Is he silent? Is he hidden? This insightful and deeply personal book points to the odd disparity between our concept of God and the realities of life. Why, if God is so hungry for relationship with us, does he seem so distant? Why, if God cares for us, do bad things happen? What can we expect from God after all? Yancey answers these questions with clarity, honesty, and biblical assurance. He points us beyond life’s disappointments and the cynicism they can breed to a stronger, wiser faith, a confidence in God’s deep love for us, and a thirst to reach not just for what God gives, but for who God is

One of the unfortunate byproducts of living in a sinful, fallen world is that every person, Christian or not, experiences pain and suffering and disappointment in this life. From failed relationships to unfulfilled dreams, life can be filled with sorrow and disappointment. In fact, Jesus assured us of it: “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). The bright side of this verse lies Jesus’ in the complete sentence of Jesus… here it is …. Let’s read it together … ^“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Here’s the point, no one is immune to disappointment but you can overcome disappointment!

In overcoming disappointments, it is important to keep them in perspective. Even though we cannot eliminate suffering or disappointment this side of heaven, it can become less formidable when viewed from a different vantage point.

The biggest disappointment with God is waiting on God for what you need or want Him to do for you. Feelings of disappointment says, “Why is He taking so long when I need help now?” The next question is “Is our disappointment connected to our Christian walk? YES! When God somehow fails to satisfy our hopes or does not live up to our expectations, disappointment inevitably follows. When disappointment takes over our prayers of silenced, our presence is absent, our generosity slows up, and our involvement turns to isolation. The word “disappointment” means a feeling of dissatisfaction when one’s hopes, desires, and expectations fail to come to pass. 

So, how do we overcome disappointment?

First, keep in mind: no amount of suffering or disappointment we experience can ever undo what God has done for us in Christ.

Secondly, it is during the difficult times that we learn to rely on God and experience firsthand the absolute trustworthiness of His Word. We also learn the truth of what Paul taught: God’s power is at its strongest when we are at our weakest (2 Corinthians 12:9). As A. W. Tozer observed, “If the truth were known, the saints of God in every age were only effective after they had been wounded.”

Thirdly, our time on earth is an incalculably small fraction of our eternal journey. Consider the apostle Paul and the persecution he was subjected to while spreading the gospel. Although his litany of suffering seems unbearable by any measure, he amazingly referred to his hardships as “light and momentary troubles/affliction.”

Fourth, think of His goodness to you! I’m careful to exhort us to put a praise on it because without truth praise is nothing more than an emotional high. Thinking of His goodness to us keeps before us a testimony that if God did yesterday and He will do it again!

Fifth, God knows how we feel! The unknown writer of Hebrews says, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need – (Hebrews 4:16-20 NIV).