August 3 I Tuesday

Psalms 63-65

Romans 6

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”   —Proverbs 3:5-6

Some of us may have known disappointment in the workplace, where we have gone into a new job or career with great anticipation and some excitement, but before long it begins to wear out, goes pear-shaped and we are disappointed. Some of us may have gone into a relationship full of optimism, joy and prospect, but then it falls apart and we are disappointed. Some of us may live with ambitions and dreams we have had for years, but as time goes on, they are not anywhere near fulfillment and we are disappointed.

      Disappointment is probably a universal experience in all our lives. But the biggest and hardest disappointment to deal with is disappointment with God. When things that we anticipate, things that we believe, things that we sense are promised to us from God but do not materialize, we find ourselves increasingly frustrated and disappointed as we wonder if God is really active at all.

      Jeremiah was probably one of the most disappointed characters in Scripture. He was called, equipped and sent by God. Jeremiah set off in his ministry with all the confidence from God, but in his 40 years of ministry and prophetic work in Judah—before the Babylonian armies came and destroyed the nation—he never saw a convert, was never approved by anybody and had very few sympathizers.

      Like Jeremiah, we may get tired, hurt, lonely, misunderstood and disappointed, but do not opt out when this is so, because if we ask the question, “Where is God in all this?” the answer is “He is not indifferent.” The Psalmist tells us, “Record my misery; list my tears on Your scroll—are they not in Your record?” (Psalm 56:8), or as the NKJV translation says, “Put my tears into Your bottle.” Why does God put our tears in His bottle? Because our tears, our pain, are precious to Him.

      We need to know that when we cannot see, God is doing something. We need to look at the bigger picture. Even though Jeremiah never knew what God was doing through his life, he had the assurance that God called him. We are where we are because we trust that God has put us where He wants us to be. We walk by faith and not by sight, which may mean sometimes we do not have direct guidance, but we simply trust that He is putting us in the right place at the right time for the right purpose. Our earthly disappointments are based on circumstances, but when we know we are right in the middle of God’s will, regardless of outcome, God does not disappoint us.

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for Your sovereignty over my life. Even when I do not understand what I am experiencing, help me cling to the hope that is found in You.Psalms 68-69

Romans 8:1-21