Thank God for Disappointment!?

When disappointment strikes deeply it is time to seek after the God and Saviour who is the only one in control of your life.  Even disappointment cannot halter or hinder the Sovereign hand of God from guiding and delivering His own.  In 1^st Samuel 29:8 reading to Ch. 30:6 God actually uses disappointment, rejection and complete disillusionment in David’s heart and circumstances to bring recovery, victory and blessing.  In the hands of God disappointment and rejection was used t0 get David back to where he should have been – Ziklag. Even his despair was transformed into a hunger to seek God for a victory no one would have predicted.   

 David is rejected in Ch. 29:8 declaring that most famous of phrases, “But what have I done [to deserve this]”. David is devastated at discovering his home destroyed and all the women and children taken captive (Ch. 30:1-4).  David is isolated and crushed when his own men turn on him and threaten to kill him (Ch. 30:6). On the other hand all of this placed him exactly where he needed to be so that he could to do exactly what needed to be done to get exactly the right result for everyone.  When disaster strikes the believer must literally, “Trust in the Lord with all [their] HEART and lean not unto [their] own understanding [and] in all [that is going on] acknowledge [His power and ability to perfectly deliver and direct]”. See Proverbs 3:5-6.

God actually used disappointment to get David thinking right (Ch. 30:6-8), to get David moving in the right direction (Ch. 30 9-10) and get David the right result for him, those dear to him and everyone that relied on him (Ch. 30 18-20). Not all things are good but God can literally make all things fall into place for good no matter what the original intention was (Romans 8:28). 

Putting your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ when you are experiencing disappointment automatically sets the stage for deliverance (Proverbs 3:25-26).  Put God in charge of tragedy and He will perfectly, beautifully and mightily lead you to triumph. There are two sides to every success story:

David cried, “But what have I done” (Ch. 29:8).

David “…wept until he had no more power to weep…” (Ch. 30:4).

David “…was greatly distressed…” (30:6).

However:

David “…encouraged himself in the Lord…” (Ch. 30:6).

David “…inquired at the Lord…” (Ch. 30:8).

David “…went [and] pursued…” (Ch. 30:10).

David “…smote…recovered…rescued…and took all…” (Ch30: 18-20).

David proved that disappointment may shout loud and long in your heart and mind but trust in the Lord and He will have the last say. As experienced by a multitude of Bible characters even as things quite literally kept going from bad to worse in David’s life God was actually bringing him closer to a great victory with every second that past. Pray, claim and believe that your steps are ordered (directed and established) by the Lord no matter who or what tries to dictate and take command (Proverbs 37:23).  The secret is not to get bitter but to get deeper (James 5:8).    

Study Acts 18: 7-18 and see how the Lord Jesus Christ imposes His sovereign hand when His promises to Paul (verses 9&10) seem to be completely contradicted by the sinister run of events (v.12-13) As indicated Paul’s enemies found to their cost that it is not who has the loudest say but who has the final say that counts (v. 18). I challenge the reader to study this passage and discover how not one of Christ’s promises are broken. Hallelujah! Deal with but do not dwell on disappointment. Trust in a Saviour who knows what you need before you ask (Matthew 6:8) and will answer your call for help while you are yet speaking (Isaiah 65:24; Daniel 9:23; Daniel 10:12).

Must reads: Psalm 55:12-17; Psalm 56:1-13; Psalm 59:6-9; Romans 8: 35-39 (v31); Matthew 7:7-12.