Avoiding Disappointments

If we look at our frustrations and disappointments, why we often fall prey to these... we can understand that it because of unmet expectations or plans that has failed. It is no way wrong to plan or to expect something good and positive. However, after having prayed and submitted to the Lord, if what we expect or plan does not happen, we get discouraged, disappointed and even frustrated.

Apostle Paul offers a solution to escape unnecessary disappointments and frustrations...

1 Corinthians 7:31-32 (Amplified Bible)
31.And those who deal with this world [overusing the enjoyments of this life] as though they were not absorbed by it and as if they had no dealings with it. For the outward form of this world (the present world order) is passing away. 32.My desire is to have you free from all anxiety and distressing care.

If we don't attach ourselves much to our expectations and plans and place it in the hands of God knowing that none of His good will towards us can be thwarted, then we can always learn to hold our peace...

My Rock, My strength

I like the statement of the Welsh preacher who says "There are many occasions when I tremble as I stand upon the Rock, but there are never any occasions when the Rock trembles under me" (EDWJ). What an encouragement this is to each of us. When we stand on our Rock Jesus, we may go through life situations which makes us tremble or overwhelm us. But to know that the Rock on which we stand is firm and will never tremble (though we may) is a blessed assurance to our souls.

May we find courage in the midst of our trembling and say like the Psalmist did in 

Psalm 28:8 (KJV)

The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, to know that I stand on you, my Rock and that I will not fall is a great strength to my soul. May you uphold me as I trust in You. Amen.

Waiting with Joy

Many dislike the idea of waiting (myself included). We get so irritated when waiting for small things. We still don't like the idea of waiting for major life things such as a job, marriage, new business to accelerate, etc.

Waiting on the Lord to give us a breakthrough in life's major aspect is tough. For years, right from the time I came into the Lord, I have a had a burning desire to serve Him and took a step of faith in every opened door. However, I saw that none of them endured or say persisted on a long run leaving me wondering if I had mistaken His will for me...

Waiting on the Lord for years left my soul wearied and I willfully forgot all His promises or call which I believed was mine. Recently, during this year the Lord renewed my passion to serve Him by reminding me of His promises, at the same time the Lord helped me learn a wonderful life lesson which I am in the process of learning now. All these years, as I waited on the Lord, the waiting was not a joyful experience. I waited on the Lord with faith, but when nothing happened especially when I my thoughts and ideas didn't not work out as I expected I was disappointed and hence waited with regret.

I learnt that when we wait with joy, no matter whether things work out or not, I know that He is working out His best in me and will do His best through me (and for me). I don't need to strive hard for Him to use me or meet my need. I just need to be available, be sensitive to Him and yield. I understood that His desire to use me surpasses my desire to serve Him. I have no regrets waiting for Him. I have learnt to wait for Him with joy...Amen.

Isaiah 30:18 The Message (MSG)

But God's not finished. He's waiting around to be gracious to you.

He's gathering strength to show mercy to you.

God takes the time to do everything right—everything.

Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones.

His Perfect Peace

'Most of our life's perplexities arise when we are not able to understand the way God works or the things God allows in life' states Rev. Selwyn Hughes. How true this is when we each one of us reflect and see the reasons behind our tensions or anxiety.

How can we avoid unnecessary perplexities from rising in our hearts or bothering our minds? The Word of God offers a simple solution which however is difficult for many of us to implement it in our lives.

Isa 26:3 (NLT)

You will keep in perfect peace,

all who trust in you,

all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Perfect peace comes when we learn to trust that God knows what He is doing and He is working things for our good, though we may not be able to appreciate or understand the current events or happenings. As long as our thoughts are fixed on Him and we learn to acknowledge ourselves saying, "I know that my God is working all things for my good and I have left my worries into His hands", we cannot have that peace...

Suffering Lack

There is no human being in this world who may not suffer a lack. Lack can be in different forms. Finances, health, work, relationships, peace of mind, anything. And each of us present our requests to God in the form of prayer and many times as complaints. God is aware of our lack. He is aware of the lack that we want to be filled, as well the lack which we may not recognize and desire to be fulfilled.

Many times we may be pressing towards filling the lack which we want and be desperate about it. However, we forget that God has a better plan to fill that lack along with the lack which we have not recognized. For instance, we may be pressing towards a greater career while God may be planning to restore our lost years or even mature us along with the career growth.

The Word of God says,

James 1:2-4 (MSG)

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient (lack) in any way...

May we be patient until God works His plan for us knowing that He will fulfill the lack we suffer both that which we recognize and that which we do not...

What are we pursuing?

Most of our heartaches or emotional downs are because we do not get or see to happen what we expect. When what we are longing deeply or expecting earnestly does not come through it is natural for us to feel down.

Reverend Selwyn Hughes says that whether we realize it or not, we deeply crave for something in life. And it is for different things at different stages of life. 99% of us long to be happy by getting something or by doing something and when our deep cravings and expectations are not met we feel sad. Sadly, whatever we pursue runs away from us including happiness. The only easy way to get what we crave for or expect is not to pursue it...Sounds strange isn't it? But it is true. It is not wrong to desire something or expect something to happen but when we tend to pursue it strenuously we only find that we never get it or come to see it happen.

The Word of God emphasizes this truth beautifully in the Message translation

Matthew 6:32-33 (The Message)

"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met".

What more do we need than this encouragement from His word? So do we decide to change our pursuing from things to God?...

No need for Remorse

Most of us when we look back into our lives, there are instances which we feel remorse about or regret for the decisions made. We sometimes think how foolish we had been trusting somebody so plainly. We come to realize that if we had been careful we wouldn't have been fooled by others. Deep inside whether we realize it or not, we tell God that He shouldn't have allowed us to be fooled. We feel that He should have stopped us from being fooled. We may also regret that God did not intervene during those times.

Rev. Selwyn Hughes says that we need to understand that "God loves us the same all the time and will not allow anything to happen to us unless it accords with a wise and a loving purpose". It may be difficult to accept it. However, there is a a truth in this statement. We cannot understand why sometimes God allows certain instances in our life that may be painful. Yet the God allows it for a redemptive purpose which we cannot comprehend fully. But as life goes and when we look back we will be able to connect the dots and be able to see it...

Romans 8:28 (The Message)

That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.