Have you ever thought God let you down? Have you asked God for something, expecting to receive it, and you didn't? If you ever have thought God let you down or you find yourself disappointed in God, you have a grave misunderstanding about Him.
Webster says that to disappoint is, "to fail to fulfill the expectation, hope or desire of. To prevent the fulfillment of a hope or a plan." (Webster's Online Dictionary)
All of our disappointments come in varied shapes and sizes. Some are small and seemingly trivial and others are huge and leave scars that take a long time to heal.
What is your response to disappointment? Do you accept it well? Do you pout and get angry? We are so easily swayed and turn away from God in these moments. Many times we don't realize it until we have gotten ourselves into such a mess...and then we don't know where to go. Usually, we complicate matters and go everywhere but to the Lord.
Psalm 118:8-9 says, "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes."
God is the only one who will never let us down. Scripture says "God is perfect" (Ps. 18:30) and He is the only one who will never disappoint us.
So when there is something that you truly believe is important, and does not come to pass you have a choice: You can accept that is thing (whatever it is) is not as important to God as it is to you, or you can get angry with God. The wiser choice is to accept that whatever you desire or want is not a big thing in God's eyes. He has a better plan, and a different plan for your life (Jer. 29:11-13). Trust that God's plan is more important than your own and that He is in control.
These decisions will affect how you respond when your wants and desires are not granted. If you find yourself contending with God, it may be because your heart is fixed on something other than God. That "something" is usually yourself. When you look at those disappointments from God's perspective it will change the focus to what God is accomplishing in your situation.
God changes your heart and your expectations and the result is joy! You will find your will in submission to His will and you will also see that you are content with the plans the Lord has for you. Your confidence will only grow and grow that He is for you and not against you.
It goes without saying that there are times you will also learn that God allows some problems to remain in your life for longer than you would like. Sometimes they are permanent! Paul learned this when he asked the Lord to remove the thorn in his flesh and he is reminded that the grace of God is sufficient to meet the need. Your circumstances may never change, and that will be ok. The point is that you grow through these times and learn the lessons the Master desires to teach you.
While in the midst of disappointments, set your heart on glorifying God through right responses and acceptance of His will for you. In this you will find joy!