Life's Disappointments

 

Considering the disappointments of our past, the uncertainty of our future and the unexpected surprises which meet us with each new day, we often feel frightened by a world that can be very overwhelming.

We always wonder why God allows bad things to happen to good people. We search our soul to discover if we did something to deserve the trials we are experiencing. We shrink from the pain and suffering inflicted upon us.

Regret and anger over our past mistakes, depression and loneliness in our current experiences and hopelessness and fear concerning the future make us regret the day we were ever born.

Yet, when we allow God to open the eyes of our understanding and to open our hearts to His eternal love, our life takes on a whole new meaning (John 3:16-17).

Our compassionate Lord experienced the same degree of suffering and degradation, which we do; and He understands how we feel. He suffered so much more than we ever will, and He did it all for us.

He uses the sin-caused circumstances of daily living to strengthen our character, perfect our patience and draw us ever closer to His bleeding heart (James 1:4-8).

He is our hope, and our expectations are in Him alone. Apart from Him, there is no joy and peace in this life. He satisfies our longings and fills our empty soul (Psalm 107:9).

He heals broken hearts, answers our doubts, calms our fears, strengthens our endurance and gives us hope for a tomorrow filled with His presence, regardless of our circumstances.

Prayer:

Father God, we depend on Your mercy to see us through this life, on Your grace to make us victorious over every negative experience, and on Your goodness to give us a miracle from every trial. From Old Testament examples and New Testament encouragement we realize that You are the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

You help us to remain faithful regardless of our experiences, to never lose hope, to never slander Your name and to always walk in Your righteousness; so we do not cause anyone to doubt Your goodness. Nothing can ever separate us from Your love except the distance that we put between You and us (Romans 8:35-39).

Thought for the Day:

As we are fully aware and present in each moment of life, we see how God is weaving them into a beautiful tapestry for us to enjoy.

Satisfy Longings with Rivers of Living Water

People all around us, both Believers and unbelievers, are dying of thirst. We are filled with the rivers of living water which they need (1 Corinthians 16:18; 2 Corinthians 7:13). As we allow these rivers to flow out of us, fresh water flows into us.

This living water is not a one-time blessing, but a continual flow of eternal life flowing from Jesus and His Spirit who abide within our innermost being - our soul and spirit (John 14:14-17). 

Water is also often used in the Bible to symbolize the life of the Holy Spirit filling us. He transforms us with the character, nature and fruit of the Trinity within us.

The fruit of the Spirit within us actually helps to provide our mate, children, extended family, friends, neighbors and associates exactly what they need to abundantly live in this world (Galatians 5:22-23).

As we walk in God's Spirit, He gives us what we need to satisfy the thirst within us and within those He brings into our life. Of course, we cannot force others to drink.

Jesus dwelt on earth for 33 years, and most people rejected Him. They ignored Him, argued with Him, attempted to disprove His assertions and wanted to crucify Him.

They did not believe His claims as Messiah. Even His signs and miracles could not convince them of His deity, and that He alone offered their thirsty soul living water to drink (John 7:37-39).

These stubborn, prideful, rebellious people rejected and eventually crucified Him. They were looking for a reigning King rather than a stable-born, carpenter's son.

They looked on the outward appearance rather than on the Holy Ghost power within Him. They did not recognize God in Him because they did not know God (John 5:23; 8:19, 42).

Prayer:

Father God, it is only as we know You that we realize we can ask You to quench our thirsty soul (John 4:10). You are our living water of life and satisfy all of our longings. We are completely immersed in and quench our thirst in Your rivers of living water which flow out of us to the world around us.

You fill us with Your Spirit, whom those who believe in You receive (John 7:37-39). He and Christ are rivers of living water abiding within us now and for eternity (Acts 10:44-45). Your Spirit seals us for salvation; ministers to us and flows out of us through our spirit, soul and body; and brings refreshing, thirst-quenching life to the world around us (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Thought for the Day:

Only Jesus satisfies the longing and fills the empty soul with both spiritual food and living water. - John 6:35

Living in Hope

 

When we go through some form of tribulation in our life, we panic, wondering where God is, and why He is allowing us to experience more than we can bear. Fear seeps into the depths of our soul. At times, we even cry out to God with accusations and angry words (Psalm 109:1-3). God already knows the feelings in our heart and the thoughts in our mind, so expressing our anger honestly, but respectfully, is only telling God what He already knows.

Contrary to popular teaching, God never promises to give us only the trials, which we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). However, our trials are never more than Christ in us can bear. God uses our trails for our good. They are God’s pruning shears, which allow more of His Spirit’s fruit to grow in our life (John 15:2). God also gives us trials in order to prove that our faith in His faithfulness will endure to the end of this church age (James 1:2-4). Tribulation provides us with steppingstones toward our maturity in Christ.

Satan tries to distract us from our walk with Christ by piling on the trauma and disappointments in order to sidetrack us from fulfilling God’s will for our life. He uses circumstances to divert us from the leading of God’s Spirit through each moment of our day. He attempts to arouse our anger toward God for letting us down. However, trials are actually adventures, because we hop from one undertaking to another.

Christ is our guide, and God’s Spirit as our comforter (John 14:26). In fact, we find that we can actually bear all things through Christ, because He dwells in us (Philippians 4:13). God also uses tribulation to produce determination and perseverance in our character. Then, the more we persevere, the more our Godly character is proven. This gives us hope, because we feel the love of God, which is poured out into our heart by God’s Holy Spirit who dwells within us (Romans 5:3-5).

If we empty our soul of negative emotions by pouring them out in the pages of our journal, or into the ear of God, then we will be less likely to pour them out on our family, coworkers or friends. If we would only take the time to notice, we can then turn our words into songs of praise for all that God already provided for us (Psalm 109:26,30). A bed to sleep in, a blanket for warmth, water to drink, air to breathe, a body that still works and nature to enjoy are just some of His bounty, which enables us to live in hope.

Prayer:

Father God, do not allow us to lose hope, or to give up just before we reach the mark to win the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14). There are so many things we take for granted that both You and our loved ones do for us each day. Instead, let us express words of appreciation and thanksgiving to You with our every waking breath. Open our eyes to see Your purposes in our trials. Use the fire of these trials to burn the dross out of our life (1 Peter 1:7). I want to pour my heart out to You, because I know you care about me (1 Peter 5:7). Teach me to trust in You at all times (Psalm 62:8).

Thought for the Day:

God’s love gives us hope, which fills our life with joy.