HANDLING LIFE’S DISAPPOINTMENTS –
Tell me
-- tell me about your disappointments!
You have had some disappointments -- haven't
you?
All of us do -- at one time or another!!
All of us know what it means to have our
dreams shattered -- & our plans changed.
Life is like a roller coaster! -- It has
many ups & downs!
There are times when the unexpected erupts
-- & our plans are abruptly changed.
Every one of us has had our share of
disappointments.
We all have known what it means to have it
rain on our parade!
Our fondest hopes have sometimes been
crushed.
Have you prayed for someone to get better;
-- they did not; -- instead they got worst -- & died?
Maybe the job you counted on -- fail
through; -- & now you are unemployed.
Perhaps the report you received from the
doctor was most alarming.
Did you hope that that relationship would
improve -- but instead it only deteriorated -- ending in separation?
Life's disappointments! -- How do we handle
them?
Disappointments can be dangerous!
They often form fertile ground for seeds of
doubt & despair.
Sometimes disappointments so crush people
that they are emotionally handicapped for life.
And yet -- there are people who rise above
the broken dreams -- & they live in victory!
Even the life of Jesus had its share of
disappointments!
He was disappointed with the rebellion of
As Jesus looked across the city &
thought about it -- Jesus wept.
I am sure that Jesus was disappointed when
He came unto His own, & they received Him not; -- when the rich man refused
Him; -- when His followers forsook Him; -- when Judas betrayed Him; -- when
Peter denied Him; -- when Thomas doubted Him.
Did you ever pause to consider that Jesus
preached for more than three years -- & while thousands heard Him -- only
120 were in the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost?
Only a fraction of those who saw Jesus
perform miracles -- & heard Him preach -- were healed by Him & helped
by Him -- dared to follow Him!
Don't you think it was disappointing to
Jesus that greater numbers did not accept Him?
In fact Jesus' greatest opposition came from
religious leaders.
Isn't it a strange twist of irony that the
most zealous religious Jews of the Pharisees -- constantly spoke evil against
Jesus?
Read for yourself some of the bitter things
they said about Jesus!
Jesus had to be disappointed -- bitterly so
at times!
But Jesus never allowed disappointments --
heartaches -- or loneliness to move Him from the path of obedience & duty!
Jesus remained true to His Heavenly Father.
Jesus remained true to His earthly calling.
He went freely to the Cross; -- He never
murmured against the will of God; -- never demanded an easier way; -- never
allowed bitterness to creep in & take hold; -- never reflected a wrong
attitude -- or spirit.
The Bible is full of stories of people who
experienced disappointments!
Some went down in defeat & despair --
with devastating results.
On the other hand -- some rose above their
disappointments -- with firm & steady faith in God -- & they grew in
spite of their disappointments!
This morning -- I want to introduce you to a
man who faced life-long disappointment -- & yet triumphed over it all.
His name is
If ever a man experienced disappointments
& personal tragedy -- it was this man named -- Jeremiah.
Jeremiah was called to serve God at a
difficult time in history.
And he
was given a difficult message to proclaim -- for God told Jeremiah to warn the
nation that judgment was coming -- & they had better repent!
Jeremiah served the Lord faithfully for over
forty years.
He never compromised in his message -- or
his loyalty.
His family turned against him -- &
ultimately the entire nation turned against him.
He lived to see his beloved nation overrun by
the enemy -- & his beloved city of
If ever a man had a broken heart -- it was
Jeremiah!
He is often referred to as "the weeping
prophet."
Not only do we witness his burden in his
book of prophecy -- we see his brokenness in the Book of
The Book of Lamentations has tear stains on
almost every verse!
Imagine serving God faithfully for a
lifetime -- &, in the end -- seeing everything fall apart!
Jeremiah could have died a bitter &
broken man -- but he did not!
In the strength of the Lord -- Jeremiah was
able to face his disappointments -- & accept them with grace.
I could point you to many statements in
Jeremiah's prophecy that indicate his courage & faith -- but just one of
them will meet the need in this message.
-- Look with me at
This whole 10th chapter makes sad reading.
Oh, what grief is expressed here as Jeremiah
pours out his heart!
In chapter 10 -- Jeremiah describes the
emptiness of idols -- & warns the nation that judgment & exile are
near.
That statement -- in my opinion -- is one of
the greatest declarations of faith found anywhere in the Bible.
"Woe is me for my hurt! -- my wound is
grievous: -- but I said, Truly this is a grief, -- & I must bear it."
Let's learn from the prophet Jeremiah how to
face & conquer the disappointments of life.
1. The first truth he teaches us is this: -- Disappointments in Life are to be Expected!
Life is not always going to be sunny &
clear; -- there will be days -- perhaps even weeks & months -- when it will
be stormy & dark.
Some people have the idea that faithful
Christians escape disappointments -- but this is not true.
God does not guarantee that we will never
have a broken heart!
God does not promise to take away our tears
-- this side of heaven!
As you read your Bible -- & as you read
Christian biography -- you will discover that faithful saints of God have their
share of disappointments!
Don't you think godly Abraham was disappointed
in the behavior of his nephew
Wasn't Joseph burdened at the selfish
treatment he received from his brothers?
The sins of the people of
King David had great plans for his family --
yet some of his sons were so sinful they almost wrecked the nation.
As you read the letters of Paul -- you learn
that he too knew what it was to suffer disappointment -- & to have his own
helpers in the ministry fail him & fail the Lord.
The Lord never promises us an easy life! -- So
learn to expect disappointments! -- They will come; -- disappointments are a
part of life
Jeremiah did not try to fool himself into
thinking that everything was fine
He wrote -- "Woe is me for my hurt! --
My wound is grievous."
The
Jeremiah admitted that his heart was broken!
He openly confessed that he had been wounded
by those who should have caused him joy!
So you & I can expect disappointment; --
it is one of the hard facts of life!
2.
But the prophet Jeremiah teaches us a second truth: --
Our
Disappointments are in the Hands of God!
I'm sure there were times when Jeremiah
thought he had been forsaken by God.
Why wasn't God answering his prayers?
Why wasn't the Word he was preaching bearing
fruit -- & changing the nation?
Was it really worth it all staying there --
& ministering to such hard hearted people?
But God knew what was happening -- & God
was ruling -- & over-ruling in Jeremiah's life.
Admittedly, God permitted -- allowed -- His
servant, Jeremiah, to suffer.
However -- God protected Jeremiah when the
king wanted to kill him -- & God provided for Jeremiah so he did not go
hungry.
God even knew how Jeremiah would die --
& God did not prevent it.
God was there whether or not Jeremiah saw
Him -- or felt His presence.
The enemy of our soul will whisper to us
when disappointments come -- & he will tell us the lie -- that "God
has failed!" -- Don't believe it!!
Perhaps you have received a doctor's report
-- & the report is not what you expected -- or hoped it would be.
You prayed; -- you read your Bible &
claimed God's promises; -- & still the disappointment came!
Does this mean that God has failed you? --
No, it does not!
Does it mean that you have failed God? --
Not necessarily!
Jeremiah was faithful to serve God -- even
to the point of death -- & yet he did not live to see his dreams for his
people fulfilled.
Our disappointments are in the hands of a
sovereign God!
Someone said: -- "Disappointments are
God's appointments!"
It takes faith to believe that -- & to
rest upon it.
But, my friends -- it is true that God is
still on the throne -- & God is going to accomplish His wonderful purposes
in our lives -- if we will just let Him.
If we fight circumstances & become bitter
-- then God cannot accomplish in us & through us -- all that He has in mind
for us!
If we yield to God -- & trust Him to do
what is best -- then all things will work together for our good -- & for
God's glory!
Listen to Jeremiah's declaration of faith --
as he faces the painful disappointments of life: -- "Truly this is a grief,
& I must bear it."
It reminds me of the words of
Jeremiah did not blame God -- or other
people.
He did not try to "pass the buck."
He did not fight circumstances -- or try to
change God's mind.
He accepted by faith the burden of his grief
-- & he trusted God to work out His good & perfect will.
There is a basic law in this universe that
says -- "Fight the will of God -- & it will break you; -- accept the
will of God -- & it will make you."
Which will you do? -- Fight God's will -- or accept God's will?
3. We have learned two helpful truths about
disappointments of life: -- 1st, expect them; -- 2nd, believe that God is
working out a perfect plan.
The 3rd truth is this: -- Yield to God's Will; Let Him Heal your Broken Heart & let Him
Fulfill His Desires for your Life!
Jeremiah did not fight God! -- Although
there were times when Jeremiah questioned God's will -- or purposes.
Jeremiah did not try to get his own way!
Instead -- Jeremiah yielded to the will of
God -- & he allowed God to work out His perfect plan.
What were the results?
The nation was taken captive -- &
carried off to
And Jeremiah was kidnapped -- & taken to
The story does not have a happy ending --
but in the will of God -- every ending is a happy one! -- (Let me repeat that!)
God does not judge a man's life by what the
newspapers say.
God judges righteously -- on the basis of
what is eternal!
What did God accomplish in all this tragic
story of Jeremiah's life?
Now listen to me carefully; -- for one thing
-- in Jeremiah God made a man who was very much like the Lord Jesus Christ!
When Jesus was here on earth -- He asked His
disciples what people were saying about Him; -- & one of the answers was:
-- "You are the prophet Jeremiah."
What a tremendous compliment -- to be
compared to the Lord Jesus!
When you read Jeremiah's life -- you can
find many parallels between him & the Savior! -- & the thing that made
him that way was his suffering!
The very disappointments of life were the
tools that carved
Isn't that what disappointments are all
about?
God is working all things together for good
(Rom.
The four men of the Old Testament who best
portray Jesus Christ -- are men who suffered: -- Joseph -- Moses -- David --
& Jeremiah!
So -- if you & I suffer -- it is because
God wants to polish us -- & make us like His own Son! -- To give us the
likeness of Jesus.
God builds character in us through the
disappointments of life.
And God gives us an example; -- a witness.
In the midst of his disappointments --
Jeremiah bore witness to the Lord.
By his preaching -- & by his living --
Jeremiah pointed others to God.
Disappointments are not only opportunities
for maturity -- but they are also opportunities for ministry!
When you accept disappointments -- &
trust God, & yield to God -- you help minister to others in the battles of
life!
Conclusion:
-- Jeremiah wrote: -- "Truly this is a grief -- & I must bear
it."
He did not complain about it; -- he accepted
his disappointments -- & let God use them for Jeremiah's good -- & for
the glory of God.
Blessed indeed is the person who burns with
unquenchable faith -- even when life is crowded with things he/she cannot
understand!
Although we may seemingly have come to the
end of our rope -- so to speak -- we will see light -- although all around us
is darkness.
May our faith in God's goodness & grace
bring us to that place where we can say with
Or we can say with
Expect disappointments; -- they will come!
And when they do -- believe that God is
working out a perfect plan.
By all means -- yield to God's will -- &
let Him heal your broken heart -- & let Him fulfill His desires for your
life!
Perhaps today -- things have gone astray for
you.
Perhaps you feel like you have missed your
calling.
Perhaps life has become monotonous -- dull
-- wearisome.
Perhaps disappointments are never far from
your door.
Perhaps you can say with
Remember dear friend -- God can trust many
with blessings -- but He can only trust a few with suffering!
Let go of your disappointments -- &
cling to the Cross!
Begin to see your disappointments -- your
troubles -- through the eyes of Jesus Christ Himself!
And in your times of disappointments --
while your faith may be shaken -- put your trust in God! -- Rely on God's
wisdom; -- rely on God's strength -- rely on God's grace; -- rely on God's
support!
Can you trust God today even with your
disappointments?
John Fletcher was a well-to-do youth whose
heart was full of adventure.
One day he met an ancient sea captain -- who
told strange tales of a little known country called
Fletcher decided to sail with the captain --
whose ship was being outfitted at a port in
One morning Fletcher ordered a servant to
bring him a steaming kettle of water for his usual cup of tea.
Somehow it tipped from the table -- & its
boiling contents burned Fletcher severely.
When the captain sent for him a few days
later -- Fletcher -- cursing the fate that confined him to his room with a
scalded leg -- was unable to go.
Looking out the window -- he watched the
sails disappear over the horizon -- & out of sight. -- Fletcher was
bitterly disappointed!
Little did he know that God was graciously
sparing his life -- for the ship was never heard of again.
In the course of events -- Fletcher was
wonderfully converted -- & became an associate of John Wesley.
His biographer says: -- "He then became
a soul-adventurer going into far & stranger lands of spiritual conquest
than
John Fletcher missed the boat -- because God
had better plans for his life.
My friends -- your so-called unexpected
disappointments -- may well be the Lord's way of leading you into greener
pastures of activity.
God often intervenes & prevents us from
going our own way -- so that we will travel the spiritual highway of greater
blessing.
Daily -- ask the Savior to direct your steps
along the pathway of His highest will for your life -- & then in obedience
-- faithfully follow Him.
Never doubt that God will bring you to the
highlands of full blessing & spiritual usefulness.
Trusting in the Lord -- we can walk in the
wilderness of this world -- often through paths of disappointments -- with the
confidence that our steps are being wisely directed by God.
"'Tis So Sweet to Trust in
Jesus"