There is much in life that we find disappointing, having expected much more. As
we age, there seems to be much in life that hinders us: muscles becoming weaker
and thoughts getting emptier, often even unable to remember a thought from
earlier. It seems like life is all dust, blocking the true light. Psalm 22
speaks of this and where to look for help. It begins, "My God, my God, why have
you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my
groaning?" (NIV) Verse 6 even says, "But I am a worm, not a man, scorned by men
and despised by the people." This is coming from a heart that really hurts.
When I am visiting a family in serious trouble when everything is terribly
disappointing, I share Psalm 22:11 with them: "Do not be far from me, for
trouble is near and there is no one to help." This verse puts our needs front
and centre as we get closer to our Lord. Then, we ask the Lord for His help in
relieving the pain of disappointment and neglect, and He always does!
I can remember one Sunday when the weather completely blotted out all hope of
making it to church and offering the sermon that I had spent time all week
preparing. How did God handle that? Rather than thinking only of myself, He gave
me a prayer for the safety of all as we suffered without heat or water. The only
light that we have at such times when we are in trouble is God's promise to be
with us. We are not alone. Psalm 22:19 puts it: "But you, O Lord, be not far
off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me." When we ask God, He does come to
help us.
Sure, we go through hard times that disappoint us, but nothing in life proves to
be disappointing when Jesus takes our lives and our experiences and strengthens
our faith. Wonderful things happen. He is near us. Nothing is disappointing with
Jesus involved. We just give every day to Him and bask in His loving presence
helping us.
Prayer: Through the years, You have blessed us, O Lord. Thank You! You make
everything that seems disappointing into something full of Your grace, helping
us to make huge changes in our lives and communities. Thank You for Your
presence with all of us. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.