How Do You Face Disappointment

19 May 2022

Cheri Strange

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Categories: Spiritual Growth

How Do You Face Disappointment?

Guest Post by Rebecca Barlow Jordan

When disappointment knocks on your door, how do you face it?

I remember when a phone call brought me to my knees. “He’s gone.” I never got to say goodbye to my father.

And the time my gynecologist’s brow furrowed as he placed his stethoscope to my abdomen and frowned: “There’s no heartbeat.”

And that’s only a few.

Maybe you’ve experienced your own dilemmas and disappointments:

A betrayal. A job loss. A prodigal. And so many other disappointments too many to mention.

I haven’t always responded the way I wanted to when disappointment arrived at my doorstep. But through the years, God has taught me some awesome things about His character and His activity in my life—and in all our lives.

What would your faithful Father tell you if you talked to Him about your disappointment? Does God really care about your concerns? Is He too busy to listen?

Does God Care About Your Disappointments?

Throughout the Bible, God offers encouragement when disappointment tries to steal our hopes, joys, and dreams. How do respond at those times? As we turn to Him, based on His Word and His attributes, I wonder what our faithful heavenly Father might say to us personally. Here’s what I imagine Him saying to me.

My child, disappointment can creep into your life like an unseen enemy. Just like in a marriage or a family, when you hold on to misplaced expectations, you will meet frustration head-on. Imperfect people will let you down; circumstances will cloud your perspective, and life will disappoint you. Sometimes you even get angry with Me if My answers are not what you expected or if I don’t come through like you thought I would. But I will never withhold My love or anything good from My children.

I am the One who never disappoints. And I always know what’s best for you. How you choose to respond is up to you. But instead of giving up, try giving your discontentment to Me. Are you afraid that I will disappoint you if you place your life and circumstances in My hands? I’ve always been faithful. My Holy Spirit has flooded your heart with My love and security. When you open your heart to Me, placing your hopes and expectations in Me, I have promised you a wonderful love relationship with Me—the One who never disappoints.

You can read my answer and prayer response to God in my new book, Day-votions® with Your Faithful Father: 90 Days with the One Who Wants to Meet All Your Needs.

What Does the Bible Say About Your Disappointment?

Here are only a few of the Bible verses in God’s Word that verify His care for us in times of disappointment:

Those who believe in him will never be disappointed. Romans 9:33 TLB

And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:5 NLT

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 NLT

God’s Word reassures us and encourages us to respond in a way that draws us closer to Him. He is, after all, the only One who never disappoints.

DAILY TRUTH:

Disappointment is only an appointment to trust God more.

Challenge

Here’s a challenge for you today to help you plan your response the next time you face disappointment:

Write down any recent disappointments you’ve experienced. How did you react? Do you see any misplaced expectations? One by one, turn them over to God and ask Him to renew your life with joy. How would you like to respond to disappointments the next time you encounter them?¹

Rebecca

¹© 2022, Rebecca Barlow Jordan, adapted from Day-votions® with Your Faithful Father: 90 Days with the One Who Wants to Meet All Your Needs, All Rights Reserved. Parts of this blog post were first published as When Disappointment Comes.

From Rebecca

What if your needs were special invitations from God to experience His faithfulness in a greater way? Would you like to discover more about your faithful Father and how He longs to meet your needs? Whatever your need, He has the supply and IS the supply!

Day-votions® with Your Faithful Father is a 90-day spiritual and devotional encounter based on God’s attributes and activity that will help you renew your hope, joy, peace, and trust in the One who is faithful and unchangeable—the One who wants to meet all your needs. Through intimate prayer conversations with your heavenly Father, focused Bible verses, powerful truths, reflective Bible study questions, and even journal pages, this book will guide you to deepen your relationship with Him. Use it as a devotional, prayer book, personal or small group Bible study, or a devotional prayer journal. You can find it here or on Amazon.

Rebecca Barlow Jordan is a day-voted follower of Jesus whose passion is helping others find intimacy with God. A bestselling CBA inspirational author, she has written 13 books, including Day-votions® with Your Faithful Father: 90 Days with the One Who Wants to Meet All Your Needs, and Day-votions® for Mothers, winner of the Serious Writer 2021 Book of the Decade. With the pen of a poet and the heart of a disciple, Rebecca encourages others from years of Bible study and teaching experience, in over 2000 greeting cards, devotionals, online articles, and other inspirational books. Rebecca is a minister’s wife, has two children and four grandchildren, and lives in Texas. Connect with her on her website and encouraging blog at rebeccabarlowjordan.com.

I am grateful for Rebecca sharing with us today. Be sure to check out her resources!

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You can meet Cheri on the She Yearns blog for more truth-saturated, Gospel-centered encouragement like this:

Do You Pray Expectantly?

10 March 2022

Cheri Strange

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Categories: Prayer

Do You Pray Expectantly?

Guest Author, Kathy Howard

Get ready. Today we have the privilege of hosting Kathy Howard, a fellow Texas, just up the road. She is a great Bible teacher and devotional writer. Kathy brings us a glimpse of her new release, Deep Rooted: Growing through the Book of Acts, here on the blog, posing the question, Do You Pray Expectantly?

Doctors diagnosed Kaitlyn with leukemia just days before her thirteenth birthday. Family, friends, and the church immediately began to pray. Kaitlyn endured weeks of intense in-patient treatment. After multiple victories and set-backs, the doctors announced Kaitlyn was in remission. My dear friend Janet also endured years of intense treatments and long bouts of hospitalizations to battle a rare form of leukemia. Many believers – including me – prayed fervently for her physical healing. But Janet’s story ended differently than Kaitlyn’s.

Many Christians earnestly prayed for the physical healing of both my friends. God delivered one from leukemia’s grip. But God eternally healed the other by bringing her home to heaven. God had the power to heal both, but only physically healed one.

In Acts chapter 12, both Peter and James faced the threat of death for the sake of Christ. God physically delivered one, but allowed the martyrdom of the other. I don’t fully understand why God answers some prayers the way we desire, but not others. But I believe what His Word teaches. God is always able. He always cares. And sometimes God’s purposes include leaving us in our physical trials.

In the early days of the church, Herod Agrippa I was Rome’s appointed “king” over a significant geographical area that included Judea, Samaria, and Galilee. This stereotypical politician acted to benefit himself. Therefore, when his execution of James pleased the Jewish leaders (Acts 12:1-3), Herod planned a similar fate for Peter to further curry their favor. Herod thought he had control. But he was mistaken.

When Herod arrested Peter during the Passover feast, the church began praying. The believers did not simply pray once for Peter then check it off their prayer list. In Acts 12:5, their prayer is described as “earnest.” The adjective “earnest” describes a fervent, wholehearted, vigilant attitude and the verb tense indicates continuous action. They pled with God on Peter’s behalf. They urgently prayed and kept on praying.

Herod had taken extreme measures to prevent Peter from escaping. He was bound with two chains between two soldiers and two more soldiers guarded the door (Acts 12:6). But in light of God’s power, these efforts seem silly. When God deployed His angelic messenger to execute His escape plan, no amount of chains, guards, or locks could hinder God. The chains fell off, the prison door opened, and the angel led Peter out into the street.

Ironically, Peter experienced had far more trouble getting into the house where the believers were praying than he did walking out of prison. The believers prayed earnestly, but not necessarily with expectation. They asked God to act, but did not look for His answer. Peter’s arrival surprised them.

God still works through the prayers of believers. What an incredible truth! The God of the universe chooses to work through the intercession of His people to carry out His purposes. Through prayer, God invites us to join Him in His work. And while we may not always understand God’s specific answer, we can always trust that His answer is good.

So, let us trust in the One who hears our prayers and not in a specific outcome. Let us boldly enter God’s throne room. Let us continue to pray with earnest. And as we pray, let’s expectantly watch for God’s answer.

Kathy

Kathy Howard is a treasure hunter. She hunts for the creamiest chocolate, richest coffee, and cherished stories of faith. She also digs deep into Scripture, mining God’s eternal truths. Kathy has a Master’s degree in Christian Education and has taught the Bible for more than 30 years in a wide variety of venues. Kathy is the author of 11 books, including “Heirloom: Living and Leaving a Legacy of Faith” and the “meaty” devotional series “Deep Rooted.” Kathy and her husband live in North Texas. They have three married children, six grandchildren, and two accidental dogs. Find free discipleship resources at www.KathyHoward.org. You can also connect with Kathy on Facebook and Instagram.

More about “Deep Rooted: Growing through the Book of Acts”

Pack your bags and join Kathy Howard for the journey of a lifetime. You’ll experience the powerful arrival of the Holy Spirit, witness the birth of the church, and walk the dusty roads alongside those first missionaries as they boldly share the Gospel of Jesus with the world.

This volume of Deep Rooted — 50 devotions through the book of Acts–will show you how to interact with and apply Scripture, not just read it. These meaty daily devotions use a simple study framework designed to help you:

Develop a regular habit of spending quality time in God’s Word
Learn how to dig into Scripture on your own
Foster a desire to share the gospel with others
Depend on the Holy Spirit as you follow Jesus

Finally, a devotional with some meat on its bones!

Available now on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3rEiYRf

Thank you, Kathy, for being here today!

Always grateful for the encouragement.

Don’t forget to check out the latest FREE reading plan available from YouVersion?

Cheri has over TWENTY different reading plans for you to choose from. Just click on the images below to check it out:

Be sure to check out the Stirring Faith Podcast, where you will find encouraging episodes like this one:

You can meet Cheri on the She Yearns blog for more truth-saturated, Gospel-centered encouragement like this:

How Do I Read the Bible

24 August 2018

Cheri Strange

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Categories: Podcasts

How Do I Read the Bible

Podcast #29

It sounds so basic but many of us are wondering how to read the Bible. You might be eager to learn what it says and have no idea what to do. Or maybe you are searching for a deeper and more meaningful relationship with God. You know you should read the Bible. And you’ve tried. Maybe you have made many prior attempt, but the consistency to stick with it is not there. You know people who are actually doing this well. What’s the secret? You ask yourself, “How do I do that?” In this episode, How Do I Read the Bible, of the She Yearns Podcast, Cheri will help you answer this question and more.

This introduces a new series, How Do I Do That? that hopes to meet you in the most basic Christian disciplines. You can now find How Do I Read the Bible, and other episodes of the She Yearns Podcast from iTunes, GooglePlay, Stitcher, or SoundCloud. Just click on the links below! As always, you can scroll down and listen right here!

Allow me to invite you to become a subscriber to the She Yearns Podcast by going to any of the providers and signing up for the RSS feed to have it automatically updated to your device! It’s basically ONE CLICK! And it doesn’t use any extra memory and really makes like easier.

If you enjoyed this episode or found it helpful, please leave a comment or review in your hosting provider service. I also love it when you post below! It really helps the ministry. We cannot do it without you! The only way the Word goes out further is with your help. Please share it as you feel the leading.

Thank you for listening.

Cheri

Increase Your Bloom Ability: Day 3

2 June 2016

Cheri Strange

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Categories: Increase Your Bloom Ability

Day Three

Have you ever ordered something on-line expecting it to be one size only to be disheartened when it arrived? Or have you believed the marketers’ promises of special amazing features, only to get half of them functional? Has there been a time when you purchased something that looked really good from the outside, only to be disappointed with the results?

Left unto ourselves, that’s what can happen to us spiritually. You and I may produce plenty of leaves. We might look like flourishing plants! But there may not much fruit on our branches.

What might be keeping you and me from our blooming potential? Jesus addresses another key component for developing a fruit-bearing life in John 15. Maybe you and I are in need of a good cleanse.

…and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. (John 15:2b)

Increase Your Bloom Ability by Allowing God to Cleanse You

Extra leaves and stems use up the nutrients and resources needed for fruit-bearing. One way the Vinedresser cleanses the branches, is to pull off the life-sucking extras in the spring that drain the nutrients from producing fruit. Note, this is His regular activity. You and I repeatedly find ourselves in need of a good spring cleaning. Although we have nothing to do with it, I find it helpful to acknowledge this reality by inviting God to do His work in me.

I’m not discerning enough on my own to become more like Jesus, recognizing what is hindering fruit-production verses what is necessary for growth. But I can pray for a willingness to cooperate with anything and everything that lines up with Scripture. I might ask myself:

What uses of my time are more centered on what the world values – than what God values?
What seems to spike up onto the calendar appearing urgent and overcoming the important?
To what establishments is my money spent? Are they God-honoring – or do I spend it just like everyone else?
Do my possessions look like the pile at my neighbors, who is NOT aiming to bloom for Christ, or is there a distinct contrast between us?
Are my actions God-honoring to those around me? Or am I stuck in the same emotional rut I found myself one, two or five years ago?

The key here is this: It’s not enough just to look good. Looking like a fruitful branch is not the same as being one. We need the supernatural work of the Vinedresser for that.

May we be receptive and open to receive whatever cleaning the Father sees fit to do in our lives so that we will become more and more fruitful from the inside out.

Cheri

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