Lamentations 3:25
“The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.”
“Stop expecting disappointment.” This statement recently jumped off the page of a devotional and resonated deep in my heart. I’d like to say every time I take a step of faith to follow God, or pray about a specific situation I do so with complete faith and optimism about how things will work out, but that’s not always the case. If I’m honest, I would have to admit there have been times I have acted or prayed half expecting to be disappointed.
Perhaps you can relate. Maybe you feel God has not honored your faith steps. Or maybe you feel He has not answered your prayers how you had hoped. You are disappointed in the outcome. This can get you into a mindset of expecting to be disappointed with God. You’ve been let down in the past, so you are simply waiting for it to happen again.
While we can point to many reasons for the basis of our discouragement, I would suggest the heart of this matter comes down to what we believe about God. Do we believe God truly is a good Father? Do we believe He is all-wise? Do we believe God is an all-loving God who desires to bless His children? Do we believe with God all things are possible? Or do we believe God is perhaps indifferent or apathetic to our needs? Maybe He just wants to make life difficult for us, to see how much disappointment we can take before calling it quits.
While we can find ourselves expecting disappointment when this has been our experience, I am certain it is not how God wants us to live.
Lamentations 3:25 says, “The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.”
Two of Satan’s greatest weapons against us are doubt and discouragement. As with Eve in the garden, Satan is the one who casts doubt and causes us to question God’s goodness, love, and wisdom. Satan wants us to expect to be disappointed. He breeds negative thoughts, pessimistic attitudes, and feelings of depression to keep us in a defeated mindset. If we are not careful, this expectation of disappointment (or lack of faith) will open the door to our believing the lies of Satan.
But when we expect good things, look to God in faith and trust in Who God truly is, we open the door to God’s best for our lives.
As author Chris Tiegreen said, “God is always optimistic, always heading somewhere good, always intent on working out the best for those who love Him.” Do you believe that? I do.
What situation in your life currently has you expecting disappointment? Why so? I would encourage you to take a minute and consider where your feeling of disappointment is coming from and to have a heart-to-heart with God about it – after all, He already knows how you are feeling. Ask Him to help you stop expecting disappointment and to trust Him for good things, knowing He truly is a good Father.
