Sample Articles

Extra from Volume 14#4

by Karissa H.

“Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh,
it is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12)

Hope deferred. Or perhaps even shattered altogether, forever. We all face disappointments in life. That’s right—you aren’t alone! You may feel like the whole world has crashed down around you, but we have all gone through these difficult times, and I can testify that God is able to prove Himself faithful to bring us through.
Perhaps you have heard the quote, “Our disappointments are God’s appointments.” Disappointment can actually be a huge blessing in our lives, even though it’s often difficult or impossible to see it at the time. We sometimes get lost in the disappointments of life and forget to look at the big picture of what God is doing for His glory and our good. Imagine if our lives were all ease and no trials. We would so easily slip into self-sufficiency, without the richness and depth of drawing near to the Lord through those times when we sense in a greater way our need of Him.

I have faced many disappointments in life, small and great, but I would like to share one in particular with you, an example still fresh to me as I write. This past summer, my older sister was planning a week-long trip back to an area where we used to live. She was planning to take me and our next-younger sister along. We had planned it months before, and we were looking forward to it. We were going to leave Sunday afternoon, after fellowship meal at church. As the time drew nearer, circumstances in my life made me wonder if God was going to close the door to me going along. I prayed about it, but I sensed I should be praying for the Lord’s will to be done, even if it ended up being different than our will in the matter. Sunday morning came, and with it the shattering of most of the hope that I would be able to go. God had not changed the circumstances that currently held the door closed. That afternoon, I waved goodbye to my sisters with a lump in my throat, holding back the tears that wanted to come.

My family and I went back home that afternoon, and I felt deeply disappointed. I cast my cares at the Lord’s feet, pouring out my heart to Him and letting the tears come. The door had been closed so clearly, and I knew this must be within God’s will; I just didn’t understand His purposes in it. As I was praying, the Lord reminded me of this quote by Susannah Spurgeon: “It is a mercy that our lives are not left for us to plan, but that our Father chooses for us; else might we sometimes turn away from our best blessings, and put from us the choicest, loveliest gifts of His providence.”

Although my heart was still grieving, my tears of disappointment turned into thankfulness that God had my future in His hands and my best in mind. I thanked Him that He could choose my path for me, for had I the choosing of my pathway, I surely would make a mess of the situations of life. I found a place of peace and rest in the situation, even though it still wasn’t easy.

The next day was very difficult. My surrender was tested. Would I continue to trust that God’s plan was best, and choose contentment and thankfulness, or would I question His ways and turn to my own thoughts? I cast myself upon Him over and over as the day went on; I knew I could not get through this on my own. I cried out to the Lord and told Him exactly how I felt and what I was struggling with; some of my prayers turned into poems that expressed both the sorrow and surrender in my life at that time: “May I find in Thee the gladness that will triumph over sadness; turn my sorrow into joy, and give me gold for my alloy. Trusting that my disappointments are naught but my God’s appointments, I’ll not murmur nor repine, but rather take this trial as mine. You’ve given it to bless my life, to teach me peace in midst of strife; I want to learn to be content with any lot Your hand has sent.” I prayed that my will would be lost in His—“Not my will, but Thine, be done!”

That week, I did see some other purposes God had in it all, and although they didn’t seem greatly significant, I was thankful for this small glimpse into God’s perfect plan for my life, and even affecting the lives of others around me.

Perhaps the Lord’s purposes will be revealed to you in the midst of a disappointment. Perhaps you will only see them later. Perhaps you will never in this life know just how many beautiful purposes God had in it all—purposes that perhaps could even affect future generations or affect souls for eternity. Will you choose to trust that His way is best? Will you learn to treasure the beautiful opportunities He gives through disappointments to conform you more into the image of Christ?

God did not close the doors so I could be disappointed about missing a trip. Rather, He had my best in mind. He knew I would be far more profited by all the lessons He wanted to teach me that week than I would be by joining my sisters. He knew facing the disappointment would draw me nearer to Him. He knew I would trust Him more than before. After a few weeks of difficult and disappointing circumstances, I wrote the following:

This summer, God ordained circumstances in my life to bring me, in several areas, to a surrender of my will, a trust that His way is best, and a peace that can only come by acceptance and surrender. I did not always understand the reasons behind His ways and timing, but it was all in His perfect plan. I would not trade what He did in my life for having things the way I had wanted them; His way was truly best.

Yes, His way is best! He loves us! He is good! During another difficult week this summer, as I began to lay down my worries, woes and wishes and stepped toward accepting circumstances and finding God’s peace and rest in them, I was encouraged by two verses: “But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.... For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him” (Job 23:10,14).

Also, after reading I Thessalonians 5:17, I personalized it as follows: “In the trial or difficulty I am facing right now, I must give thanks, because this circumstance is part of God’s will for me. Therefore, it is the best thing that could happen to me right now, because He loves me and does what is best—even if it’s hard to go through.”

Encourage your heart with verses like this: “The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him” (Lamentations 3:25). Trust Him, and you will find that He is truly good. “But you must not understand—this is the hardest thing I have ever faced! I can’t thank Him for it! I can’t stand it! You don’t understand my pain!” Yes, dear sister, I do understand that accepting disappointments, heartaches, and difficulties can seem totally impossible. In fact, it is impossible—only with God are all things possible. I know the excruciating pain of heartaches and disappointments. I know that there is no simple formula for coming to a place of peace and rest. It takes much prayer; it takes casting ourselves on the Lord, sometimes constantly. It takes encouraging ourselves in the Lord, choosing to meditate on His promises instead of wallowing in our sorrows. It takes a focus on God and on others rather than ourselves. It takes faith and trust. It takes a drawing nearer to Him, knowing that He loves us deeply and wants the best for our lives.

But may I encourage you, dear sister, that it is well worth it. Please exchange your worries, cares, hurt, heartache, and struggles today for the beautiful gem of God’s peace and rest. God is faithful. He will carry you through whatever you may be facing today, and He will carry you through whatever you may face in the future. Place your life entirely in His hands; it is safe in the center of His will.

RETURN TO SAMPLE ARTICLES INDEX