Disappointment

March 7, 2010 

Disappointment  "For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.’”  Romans 10:11

Life is fragile. Joy is fleeing. Our laughter can get stuck in our throats. Smiles may give way to tears. Proverbs 14:13 describes the human experience succinctly, “Even in laughter the heart be in pain and the end of joy may be grief.”   Disappointment is wrapped up in the living of life. The wise man noted, “There is a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance”-Ecclesiastes 3:4. And those times are often intertwined into the same experience. Life is fragile. That disappointments happen is a reality. That they happen so often is hurtful. That they happen so visibly is disturbing. Disappointments happen to us, they happen through us and they happen because of us. Disappointments are a part of life. 

The Lenten season is a time to recall that Jesus faced major disappointments, hurts and discouragement in His life on earth. He was disappointed by His followers. Those He called His friends let Him down. Hard. He was rejected by those He came to rescue. It had been prophesied of Him, “He is a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief” Isaiah 53:3. Jesus knew the disappointment of desertion, betrayal and denial. And yet He loved. He turned the table on pity and rejection. He is LORD!  

Jesus was “tempted in all ways like we are”—Hebrews 4:15, but He did not sin. Jesus never used His disappointments as a time to challenge His Father’s goodness or love. He realized that life is not fair, that justice does not always prevail in the moment; but that He could entrust His soul to Him Who is faithful and that He will do right. How about going this week towww.covenantlife.net and press the Easter Preparation key and worship to the song, “Salvation is Here”? You will be reminded that in all our disappointments, Jesus is LORD. You will rejoice in that He is with us in our sufferings. And this worship will draw your heart to His goodness and love as you contemplate that He gave Himself for us. His sufferings bring my joy. His disappointments give birth to my hopes and joys. We find the prophet right on target as he declares, “By His stripes we are healed.” Yet indeed, our disappointments become his appoint-ments as He brings healing and restoration to our lives through our brokenness and pain. He does not spare us from trouble, He saves us in our trouble. He is with us in our disappointments. And He delivers us all.