Disappointment. It comes to all of us in varying degrees in all stages of our lives. Recently I was getting groceries in our small local grocery store where the owners and cashiers know everyone who shop there. The cashier made small talk asking how I was doing. Then I also asked her how she was and her response was "not too bad for a Monday, I guess" she said. Simply stated she was struggling with some sort of disappointment that had occured in her life, possibly over the weekend. Feelings of discouragement on a Monday is sometimes even referred to as the "Monday blues".
Disappointment comes in all different forms and in varying degrees. A farmer might be discouaraged when the weather is unfavorable to his growing crops. One might become discouraged due to loss of a job or a business deal lost but probably most often discouragement come from our relationships with people. People disappoint one another and that can be really hard.
Sometimes we become discouraged when we try to do good for another person or persons and they do not even acknowledge it even with a small word of thanks. Perhaps they may even treat us with scorn for having tried to do good to them. We feel that we have put time and energy into our effort to bless that person and now we feel we have been rejected or have been taken for granted. It is at a time such as this that it is important to remember that all we do as a Christian is really done unto the Lord and guess what?? - He saw it all! and because He saw it and we did it for Him anyway - our time and efforts are not wasted!! Or if we have been treated in an unfair or unkind way, God sees that also. In His quiet whisper he reassures us that He has not forgotten us and He sees our pain and He will take care of it. We must leave the outcome to Him.
Colosians 3:17 says: 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
and Matthew 10:42 says-
42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
So we see that our reward is in Heaven, and if our efforts are not appreciated here, we need not be discouraged or disappointed. God sees and God knows and He will make things right in the end. The reward that God will give us is better by far than any human recognition or reward. So we must wait for Him and entrust ourselves to Him.
In the school that our children attend, there is a poster that says: It's okay to be mad but not to be mean. Sometimes disappointments can make us upset as we can read from the life of David in the Bible.
In the life of King David, we see how he experienced a disappointing situation in 1 Samuel 25 and 26. David and his servants had been watching over David's sheep in the wilderness and at the same time had also been providing security and safety for the servants and flocks of a man named Nabal. Under the watchful eye of David and his men, no harm had come to any of Nabal's servants or sheep. So at the time of sheep shearing, David sends his men to Nabal and requests that Nabal give something to him in exchange for his efforts of protecting Nabal's sheep. Nabal rejects David's request and refuses to give any good thing to David and his men. David is very upset. So David and 400 of his men prepare for battle with Nabal. When Nabal's wife hears what is going on she quickly prepares a gift of food for David, which she brings to him before David and his men of war can arrive at Nabal and Abigail's farm.
1 Samuel 25: 18 Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.
19 And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.
David accepts the gifts of food from Abigail and conflict is avoided. But God is not done with Nabal and so in the morning Abigail tells Nabal what she did. God showed his displeasure of Nabal's behavior. Even though David was satisfied with Abigail's reconciliation efforts, God was not and He took it a step further. God took care of Nabal and it says " the LORD smote Nabal that he died."
37 But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
38 And it came to pass about ten days after, that the Lord smote Nabal, that he died.
We don't ever need to wonder whether God sees what is happening to us. He sees. He knows. He cares. He will take care of us in our disapppointing situations of life and years down the road we will look back and it is then we will be able to see how He carried us.
The song " God will Take Care of you" says it well:
Disappointment comes in all different forms and in varying degrees. A farmer might be discouaraged when the weather is unfavorable to his growing crops. One might become discouraged due to loss of a job or a business deal lost but probably most often discouragement come from our relationships with people. People disappoint one another and that can be really hard.
Sometimes we become discouraged when we try to do good for another person or persons and they do not even acknowledge it even with a small word of thanks. Perhaps they may even treat us with scorn for having tried to do good to them. We feel that we have put time and energy into our effort to bless that person and now we feel we have been rejected or have been taken for granted. It is at a time such as this that it is important to remember that all we do as a Christian is really done unto the Lord and guess what?? - He saw it all! and because He saw it and we did it for Him anyway - our time and efforts are not wasted!! Or if we have been treated in an unfair or unkind way, God sees that also. In His quiet whisper he reassures us that He has not forgotten us and He sees our pain and He will take care of it. We must leave the outcome to Him.
Colosians 3:17 says: 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
and Matthew 10:42 says-
42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
So we see that our reward is in Heaven, and if our efforts are not appreciated here, we need not be discouraged or disappointed. God sees and God knows and He will make things right in the end. The reward that God will give us is better by far than any human recognition or reward. So we must wait for Him and entrust ourselves to Him.
In the school that our children attend, there is a poster that says: It's okay to be mad but not to be mean. Sometimes disappointments can make us upset as we can read from the life of David in the Bible.
In the life of King David, we see how he experienced a disappointing situation in 1 Samuel 25 and 26. David and his servants had been watching over David's sheep in the wilderness and at the same time had also been providing security and safety for the servants and flocks of a man named Nabal. Under the watchful eye of David and his men, no harm had come to any of Nabal's servants or sheep. So at the time of sheep shearing, David sends his men to Nabal and requests that Nabal give something to him in exchange for his efforts of protecting Nabal's sheep. Nabal rejects David's request and refuses to give any good thing to David and his men. David is very upset. So David and 400 of his men prepare for battle with Nabal. When Nabal's wife hears what is going on she quickly prepares a gift of food for David, which she brings to him before David and his men of war can arrive at Nabal and Abigail's farm.
1 Samuel 25: 18 Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.
19 And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.
David accepts the gifts of food from Abigail and conflict is avoided. But God is not done with Nabal and so in the morning Abigail tells Nabal what she did. God showed his displeasure of Nabal's behavior. Even though David was satisfied with Abigail's reconciliation efforts, God was not and He took it a step further. God took care of Nabal and it says " the LORD smote Nabal that he died."
37 But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
38 And it came to pass about ten days after, that the Lord smote Nabal, that he died.
We don't ever need to wonder whether God sees what is happening to us. He sees. He knows. He cares. He will take care of us in our disapppointing situations of life and years down the road we will look back and it is then we will be able to see how He carried us.
The song " God will Take Care of you" says it well:
Original Trinity Hymnal, #696
Be not dismayed whate'er betide,
God will take care of you;
Beneath his wings of love abide,
God will take care of you;
God will take care of you;
Through ev'ry day, o'er all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
Through days of toil when heart doth fail,
God will take care of you;
When dangers fierce your path assail,
God will take care of you.
All you may need he will provide,
God will take care of you;
Trust him and you will be satisfied,
God will take care of you.
No matter what may be the test,
God will take care of you;
Lean, weary one, upon his breast,
God will take care of you.
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