Disappointment is something we all experience regularly in our lives, yet we can find ourselves ill-equipped to process and overcome it.
A quick Google search will tell you that disappointment is defined as, ‘Sadness or displeasure caused by the non-fulfilment of one's hopes or expectations’. Non-fulfilment of hopes and expectations?? Ouch! Perhaps this is exactly where you are at right now but don’t worry, we want to help you to overcome disappointment TODAY!
Every person’s circumstances are different and so is their journey towards being healed. However, what is the same for all of our lives is the Bible’s powerful insights and wisdom into how we can emerge victorious out of bleak situations. We’d love to share these with you today in the context of overcoming disappointment.
1. Remember That God Is With You!
Even when I walk through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
Perhaps you find yourself in a dark place today feeling like you are stuck in the ‘Valley of Disappointment’. Psalm 23 should give you great comfort to know that God is with you as you walk through this valley. He hasn’t left you alone to deal with your mess. He is with you always, never far away. In fact, this version of Psalm 23 reminds us that He is close BESIDE us, bringing protection and comfort as we walk together with Him. Even when you don’t feel Him, He is close so take heart in this truth today. God has not departed from you and is waiting, ready and available, to comfort you.
Psalm 23 reminds us that God has not departed from you and is waiting, ready and available, to comfort you in your 'Valley of Disappointment'
2. Give Your Cares To God
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
Because God cares about you, He invites you— through His Word— to cast your cares upon Him. He is the only one big and able enough to handle them. There is an invitation for you today to talk to God about how you are genuinely feeling and to hand those heavy thoughts, troubles and hurts over to Him to carry.
When we allow God to truly see where we are at and are honest with Him about what we are going through, we realise that we cannot overcome these disappointments on our own and that we need Him. Genuine humility and a heart that is dependent on God opens the door to His divine power to begin to operate in our lives.
Giving our burdens to God requires us to actually ‘let go’ of them in order to transfer the responsibility of carrying them FULLY to Him. This scripture reassures us that God will be faithful to carefully take care of everything we entrust to Him. He is completely trustworthy.
With that in mind, we invite you to let go of the hurt and disappointment you might be feeling, and to allow God to do what He does best: take good care of you and your problems!
Genuine humility and a heart that is dependant on God opens the door to His divine power to begin to operate in our lives!
3. Ask God To Heal Your Heart
He heals the broken hearted, and binds up their wounds [healing their pain and comforting their sorrow].
It is in God’s nature to heal. In fact God identifies Himself as Jehovah Rapha meaning, ‘I am the Lord who heals you’(see Exodus 15:26). He IS healing and His promise to heal is not only limited to our physical challenges but also areas of emotional and spiritual brokenness in our lives.
This verse in Psalm 147 tells us that God heals our broken hearts and binds up our wounds. This isn’t something that He does every now and then. It’s who He is all of the time: the God who HEALS us. In fact, He has healing for you today. Why don’t you draw near to Him and ask Him to heal the hurt you’ve experienced in your disappointments right now!
4. Choose To Praise
…and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair…
Perhaps you find yourself in ‘the middle’ waiting on the fulfilment of a promise God has given you or in a ‘yo-yo’ season alternating between feelings of despair and peace. Maybe you just feel disappointed at the apparent finality of your unfulfilled desires. Fortunately the Bible gives us a great ‘key’ to experiencing joy in the midst of any situation: PRAISE!
Maybe you just need to lift your hands to the Lord for a moment and declare His goodness. Maybe you need to change the atmosphere in your home by turning off the TV and filling the air with the sound of songs that glorify God. Perhaps you need to dust off that musical instrument and begin to play an old worship song to help you focus on God’s goodness. Whatever it is, the Bible is so clear on this: heaviness WILL lift when we shift our focus away from our problem and onto God. Why not take a moment right now and give God an offering of praise.
5. Your Thoughts On ‘The Good’
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Positive thinking has become a buzz-word in recent years, but did you know that it’s actually a biblical principle?
In Phillippians, the apostle Paul tells us to fix our thoughts on GOOD things. The Bible also talks about being transformed by the renewing of our minds (see Romans 12:2). In order for us to move forward in freedom we must choose to engage our will and focus on God’s GOODNESS rather than be caught in a cycle of overwhelming disappointments. We must always remember that God has promised to use every disappointment for our good.
In order for us to move forward in freedom we must choose to engage our will and focus on God’s GOODNESS rather than be caught in a cycle of overwhelming disappointments. Always remember that God has promised to use every disappointment for our good.
6. Partner With A Friend Or Leader In Prayer
Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
Don’t walk alone! When we are isolated from the Body of Christ, we invite unnecessary hardship into our lives. We become vulnerable to further attack from the enemy.
This scripture tells us that when we are struggling, it’s important that we have people around us who can help. If you’re finding it hard to overcome hurt and disappointment in your heart today, reach out to a Christian leader or trustworthy Christian friend so that you can talk about what you are going through and receive wisdom and prayer. Two are better than one!
7. Encourage yourself with the Word of God
One final way to overcome disappointment is to meditate on God’s Word which reminds us that there is ALWAYS hope for our situation.
Be encouraged to read the Word daily and memorise verses that you can quickly recall and apply when feeling discouraged. Likewise, position yourself under good Bible-based preaching and teaching by regularly attending a church or small group.
We have included the following scriptures to encourage you as you journey through disappointment :
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”
What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In conclusion, disappointment is something we will all experience at some time in our lives but God wants to help us overcome its debilitating effects. God— our Comforter and Healer— invites us to cast our cares upon Him and receive freedom in our hearts from the hurt of this world.
We empathise with you as you walk through the inevitable struggles of life and are believing with you that the desires of your heart would be fulfilled. May the God who created the universe speak words of life and freedom over you today!
With love,
The Planetshakers Team.
