How can we focus on God's word instead of our disappointments?
Come to Jesus Christ with your disappointment and trust him to meet you and change your heart (Psalm 40:1–3). I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.
Confess your longings for something else more than him. Ask him to forgive you through the cross. Receive assurance of complete forgiveness (1 John 1:9). If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Plead for the work of the Spirit to change your heart, strengthen your faith, and enable you once again to experience Jesus Christ as your all-satisfying treasure (John 6:35). Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Since the Spirit does his work through the word, find Scriptures describing God’s love, power, and majesty, and promises concerning God as your all-satisfying treasure. Pray eagerly and continuously over these Scriptures. Fight to trust them (Galatians 3:5). So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?
Continue praying over and trusting these Scriptures until you feel the Spirit make a change in your heart, and you once again experience Jesus Christ as your all-satisfying treasure (1 Peter 1:8). Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
Pray over God’s promise that he will ordain every trial to bring you even more heart-satisfaction in him (2 Corinthians 4:17). For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. Do this until the Spirit strengthens your faith that whatever you lack will bring you even more of God.
Also pray over God’s promise that he will take care of everything else you need (health, work, money) in such a way that it will bring you even more of him (Matthew 6:33). But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Continue to pray for the other things you desire (healing, employment, children, marriage), but fight to keep trusting in Jesus as your all-satisfying treasure (Psalm 43:4). Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, Oh God, my God.
Three things to remember from last week's sermon…When you don’t know what to do…pray. When you have a tough choice to make…seek God’s will. When you aren’t chosen…continue to serve!
It isn’t about me. It isn’t about you. It is about the gospel. And there are millions and billions of people who need to hear it!
Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for including us in your plans to save your people from sin. Help us to trust in Your will for our lives, knowing that you will use us wherever we are, until that day when we finally get to praise Your name eternally. I pray this in the saving name of Jesus, Amen.
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