You will want to keep your distance. When my expectations are unmet, my emotions take a nose-dive. . . fast! And whoever is nearby may suffer the brunt of my despair and disappointment.
Have you ever been caught in a season where your expectations are not being met? You have firm evidence that God is not coming through on His promises. These may have been promises you found in the Word, a calling impressed on your heart during a time of prayer, or words spoken over you by someone else. In the moment of revelation, you receive the promise with jubilation, full of hope at what God will accomplish in your life.
You take your promise and run! The energizing effect of hearing the call sustains you for at least a day or two. But then the thrill-of-the-new wears off and real life sets in again. Weeks, months, and maybe even years pass with little perceptible evidence of a promised fulfilled. The glowing embers of the promise cool unto death until all that remains is a heap of burnt rubble.
Satan is ever ready with the voice of self-pity and despair which can turn into anger or depression. If allowed to fester and grow, bitterness against life, against God, and even against yourself will create a stronghold of doubt and helplessness so powerful that the words “hope” or “promise” stir a mocking resentment spewing up from the depths of a hardened heart. Remembering the joy you initially experienced when the promise was still alive almost makes you sick to your stomach.
Whew, that was morose. Yes, but I don’t think I’m the only girl who has found herself at the bottom of that pit. Anyone who has been trapped in bitterness and hopelessness can testify to the downward spiral that gains momentum until she is in the grip of dark despair.
When I cannot bear the grief any longer, I cautiously crack open my Bible, hoping to soothe my broken heart. My eyes scan the pages, hoping for relief. I come across Paul’s letter to the Christians living in Philippi, where he says, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)
Well, this is not the comfort I was hoping for, but perhaps there is something in there for me. My mind wrestles with the dissonance of contradictions found in the Word:
- Weakness is strength;
- Lose life to gain it;
- Joy in the cross;
- Beauty from ashes.
This is truth, I have to admit, but it is a kind of truth that is counterintuitive. It is a perplexing kind of wisdom.
As I wrestle to make sense of these contradictions, I reach into the shadowy recesses of my mind, far off the beaten path of my usual thoughts, and try to find . . . can you guess? A childlike faith. Remember the scene with Jesus and the disciples in Capernaum when Jesus was asked who was greatest in the kingdom of Heaven? He replies, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)
Jesus goes on to say that “whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:4) Life makes more sense when you approach God and His Word with a humble, childlike faith.
When I wonder who has an innocent, powerful trust in God, my thoughts first spring to Mary, the mother of Jesus. As we dig deep into the heart of the young lady from Nazareth, we find that her steadfast faith comes from her confidence in the Word of God. She does not need to know exactly how God will accomplish what He promises, but she knows that He is able. Her hope is built on the nature of Jehovah, not on the nature of her circumstances. She knows that He will never leave her nor forsake her. The details are not important. The great “I Am” has spoken. That is enough for her.
Is there any hope that I might respond to challenging situations in life with a faithful confidence like Mary? Could a humble, childlike faith in God be the antidote to my despair and disappointment when I feel that His promises are not being answered, when my expectations are not being fulfilled?
Nevertheless, my spirit shouts “Yes” to God!
I pray that His sovereignty becomes powerful in your mind and heart. May you be filled with a humble, childlike faith that confidently trusts in Jehovah Jireh, your Provider. The circumstances that you face may not change, but your attitude can. Your fears and disappointments can give way to God’s goodness. You can abide in a place of strength, protected by the love of the Father.
