Ephesians 3:17-19
So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
Isn’t it wonderful to know we cannot disappoint God? Since the Lord knows every decision we will make, He can never be surprised or let down by our wrong choices. He has no false expectations of what we can or can’t accomplish, and He loves us, no matter what.
When we have difficult, painful, or disappointing experiences, we are quick to claim Romans 8:28. But, do we apply that verse in the nitty-gritty of life? Do we have faith that God is engineering our circumstances for our good? Do we truly believe that He will use our disappointments for our ultimate benefit?
We believe Jesus is the Messiah who will come again. We believe in salvation by grace alone. We believe we will spend eternity in heaven. We heartily say “Amen!” to all that. But then some big disappointment happens in life, and we cry out, “God, where are You? Help me!”
It’s one thing to know the fundamentals intellectually, but it’s something else to live by faith. Can we apply the principles of Scripture to our daily lives so unexpected disappointment won’t keep us from being the person God wants us to be?
Disappointments do not mean that God doesn’t love us. He desires that we profit from hard circumstances, and He wants what is best for us. God is more interested in our spiritual growth than in relieving us from pain. His best may not always be our choice, but because it is His nature to love us (1 John 4:8), we can rest assured even letdowns are sovereignly allowed for our good.
|