1 00:00:02,650 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 1: Life Audio Welcome to the Crosswalk Devotional. We're glad to 2 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:16,640 Speaker 1: have you listening with us. Today's topic is about how 3 00:00:16,660 --> 00:00:20,810 Speaker 1: to maintain hope in the midst of disappointment. We'll return 4 00:00:20,850 --> 00:00:23,810 Speaker 1: with the devotional after a brief message from our sponsors. 5 00:00:37,050 --> 00:00:42,449 Speaker 1: Hope During Disappointment, written and read by Cindy McMenamin. Lead 6 00:00:42,490 --> 00:00:44,650 Speaker 1: me in your truth and teach me, for you are 7 00:00:44,670 --> 00:00:48,270 Speaker 1: the God of my salvation. For you I wait all 8 00:00:48,330 --> 00:00:53,690 Speaker 1: the day. Psalm 25, 5, New American Standard Bible. Wouldn't 9 00:00:53,730 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 1: it be nice if life consisted only of pleasant surprises, 10 00:00:57,580 --> 00:01:01,980 Speaker 1: not the disappointing ones? And yet, when we meet disappointment head-on, 11 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:04,780 Speaker 1: it is a true test of the strength of our faith. 12 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: I remember receiving news that was gravely disappointing. I wasn't 13 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,340 Speaker 1: prepared for it in the least. It was shocking, really. 14 00:01:13,940 --> 00:01:16,619 Speaker 1: God had been on a roll with blessings in my life. 15 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:20,420 Speaker 1: I guess I'd grown a little comfortable. And this disappointing 16 00:01:20,500 --> 00:01:23,060 Speaker 1: news couldn't have come at a worse time. A week 17 00:01:23,110 --> 00:01:27,350 Speaker 1: before Christmas, just days after celebrating my daughter's college graduation, 18 00:01:27,910 --> 00:01:31,590 Speaker 1: and just a week before my husband's transition into a 19 00:01:31,670 --> 00:01:34,130 Speaker 1: new season of life that carried with it a lot 20 00:01:34,170 --> 00:01:38,260 Speaker 1: of financial uncertainty. My family was daily looking for the 21 00:01:38,300 --> 00:01:41,140 Speaker 1: little assurances that God had our backs, and we were 22 00:01:41,220 --> 00:01:43,860 Speaker 1: constantly praising Him for all the times He came through 23 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:46,319 Speaker 1: for us. And now it looked like the door to 24 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:50,820 Speaker 1: my golden opportunity and financial stability had slammed shut. My 25 00:01:50,900 --> 00:01:55,700 Speaker 1: first reaction, spoken aloud, was, God, this is so out 26 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 1: of character for you. And then I suddenly realized something. 27 00:02:00,300 --> 00:02:04,610 Speaker 1: God doesn't do anything out of character. If God's response 28 00:02:04,670 --> 00:02:07,740 Speaker 1: to my request is, appeared out of character for him, 29 00:02:07,820 --> 00:02:11,140 Speaker 1: then it is my understanding of the situation that is 30 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: in question, not his character. If God's timing appears to 31 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,780 Speaker 1: be wrong, then it's my perception of his timing that 32 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:23,910 Speaker 1: I will doubt, not his ability to coordinate all things perfectly. 33 00:02:24,690 --> 00:02:27,290 Speaker 1: If God's love appears to be in question because of 34 00:02:27,370 --> 00:02:30,670 Speaker 1: how he has responded to my situation, then it is 35 00:02:30,790 --> 00:02:35,090 Speaker 1: my trust that is in question, not God's love. It 36 00:02:35,130 --> 00:02:38,860 Speaker 1: was then that I understood. It wasn't God's character that 37 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:42,180 Speaker 1: was being put to the test in my disappointing circumstances. 38 00:02:42,740 --> 00:02:46,820 Speaker 1: It was mine. Would my faith stand an unexpected turn? 39 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,210 Speaker 1: Would I take only blessings from God and not the 40 00:02:50,290 --> 00:02:55,350 Speaker 1: disappointments too? Or will I trust him wholeheartedly that he 41 00:02:55,410 --> 00:02:59,310 Speaker 1: knows exactly what he's doing and perhaps this closed door 42 00:02:59,370 --> 00:03:03,740 Speaker 1: means an even better one will soon be opening? My 43 00:03:03,820 --> 00:03:08,579 Speaker 1: disappointing circumstance helped me to remember three things. Number one, 44 00:03:08,660 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 1: disappointment is a very real part of life. Number two, 45 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: disappointment is something God can use to grow me into 46 00:03:16,700 --> 00:03:20,389 Speaker 1: someone who is more like His Son. And number three, 47 00:03:20,490 --> 00:03:24,269 Speaker 1: disappointment is the measuring stick for how strong my faith is. 48 00:03:25,150 --> 00:03:28,769 Speaker 1: In Psalm 25 5 in the New Living Translation, the 49 00:03:28,810 --> 00:03:32,910 Speaker 1: psalmist declared where his faith and hope was. When he said, 50 00:03:33,030 --> 00:03:35,850 Speaker 1: lead me by your truth and teach me, for you 51 00:03:35,910 --> 00:03:39,420 Speaker 1: are the God who saves me, all day long I 52 00:03:39,500 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 1: put my hope in you. Intersecting Faith and Life I 53 00:03:44,300 --> 00:03:47,940 Speaker 1: realized through my reaction to this disappointment that I had 54 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:51,570 Speaker 1: put my hope in my circumstances, not in God. I 55 00:03:51,610 --> 00:03:55,350 Speaker 1: had grown comfortable and secure in my abilities, my work, 56 00:03:55,470 --> 00:03:59,190 Speaker 1: and my finances, and I was now suddenly desperate for God, 57 00:03:59,750 --> 00:04:03,170 Speaker 1: desperate for him. And that's exactly where he wanted me 58 00:04:03,230 --> 00:04:06,410 Speaker 1: to be. I want my response to God in the 59 00:04:06,470 --> 00:04:09,490 Speaker 1: disappointments of life to be just as pleasing to him 60 00:04:10,230 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: as my praise during the blessings of life. Can God 61 00:04:13,900 --> 00:04:17,159 Speaker 1: trust me to be faithful to him regardless of my circumstances, 62 00:04:17,740 --> 00:04:20,380 Speaker 1: regardless of when he chooses to bless and when he 63 00:04:20,420 --> 00:04:25,099 Speaker 1: chooses to withhold? Can my hope remain in him constantly? 64 00:04:26,580 --> 00:04:29,980 Speaker 1: Job once said, Though he slay me, I will hope 65 00:04:30,060 --> 00:04:34,460 Speaker 1: in him, Job 13.15. I haven't been slayed, not in 66 00:04:34,500 --> 00:04:38,930 Speaker 1: the least. I've just been disappointed. Therefore, I long for 67 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:41,490 Speaker 1: the song of my heart to be, though I don't 68 00:04:41,570 --> 00:04:45,030 Speaker 1: understand why he allowed this, still I will trust him. 69 00:04:45,910 --> 00:04:49,979 Speaker 1: Have you been gravely disappointed in your circumstances? Are you 70 00:04:50,060 --> 00:04:53,280 Speaker 1: wondering why God has allowed or not allowed something in 71 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:57,130 Speaker 1: your life? It's possible He wants you to become desperate 72 00:04:57,170 --> 00:04:59,970 Speaker 1: for Him too. When you and I can say our 73 00:05:00,029 --> 00:05:02,870 Speaker 1: hope is in Him, not in what He will do, 74 00:05:03,730 --> 00:05:06,270 Speaker 1: then we get a little clearer picture of what it 75 00:05:06,330 --> 00:05:11,390 Speaker 1: means to follow Him faithfully. Disappointment or not, let's desire 76 00:05:11,430 --> 00:05:13,890 Speaker 1: a faith that is strong and a heart that is 77 00:05:13,970 --> 00:05:18,270 Speaker 1: pleasing to Him. For further study, see Isaiah 43, 2. 78 00:05:18,270 --> 00:05:22,930 Speaker 1: To grow a heart that hopes in God alone, See 79 00:05:22,970 --> 00:05:27,010 Speaker 1: my newest book, The New Loneliness Devotional, 50 Days to 80 00:05:27,050 --> 00:05:35,430 Speaker 1: a Closer Connection with God. Thanks for listening to today's devotional. 81 00:05:35,730 --> 00:05:37,670 Speaker 1: If you liked what you heard today, we want to 82 00:05:37,690 --> 00:05:41,210 Speaker 1: make sure you know about our sister podcast, Your Daily Prayer. 83 00:05:41,730 --> 00:05:45,190 Speaker 1: When you follow Your Daily Prayer in your favorite podcast app, 84 00:05:45,500 --> 00:05:48,260 Speaker 1: you'll get a brand new prayer and devotional each day, 85 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 1: so your days begin in conversation with God. If you're 86 00:05:52,220 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 1: looking to grow in prayer or start your day with 87 00:05:55,020 --> 00:05:58,710 Speaker 1: your heart focused on the right things, search for Your 88 00:05:58,810 --> 00:06:02,370 Speaker 1: Daily Prayer in your favorite podcast app and be sure 89 00:06:02,390 --> 00:06:04,810 Speaker 1: to follow the show so you get a new prayer 90 00:06:04,870 --> 00:06:07,210 Speaker 1: delivered straight to you each morning.