Are you Disappointed by People?

Psalm 146:5   Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob whose hope is in the Lord their God.

I will always remember my Father saying, "When people want to, they will make time.  When they don't, they will make excuses."  Throughout my many, many years on this earth, my Father has reminded me of this.  People will disappoint you.  People will not show up.  People will make excuses.  People will hurt you.

They won't always mean to.  They won't always know that they have hurt you or even disappointed you.  Sometimes they will and they just won't care.

I had a friend who constantly would back out of things on me.  Whether it was a meet up at the gym or a lunch date, there always seemed to be an excuse for her absence.  At first, it hurt.  I felt disappointed every time she flaked.  After a while the disappointment ceased and the bitterness took over.  A wedge had been forming not only in our friendship but in my heart.  You see, I allowed the seed of bitterness to rob me of my joy.  I allowed one person's actions to disappoint and hurt me so that bitterness toward her robbed me of my joy for many days.  

God often gives me verses in times of need.  Psalm 146:5 is a blessing to me because it reminds me that my God is faithful.  He will never not show up for me.  He will never disappoint me.  He will never leave me alone.  My God is faithful!  My God is the God of Hope!  He takes my bitterness and exchanges it for Joy!  

Have you taken the time to pray over your disappointment?  Have you asked God to take away your hurt and maybe even bitterness and exchange it for joy?  Have you come to His throne with Faith and Hope?

Dear Lord, thank you for never disappointing me. Thank you for always showing up for me! Though I fail you daily, Lord, you never fail me!  Help me to forgive those who disappoint me.  I pray I look to you when I need someone steadfast, steady, and always present!   Amen

Praying for the Sinner

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."  Romans 3:23-24 (NIV)

Sin is alive and well in the world today.  We all know people in our lives that we continue to pray for as they battle through different sins that may ensnare them daily.  We, as Christians, find ourselves satisfied that we have prayed for the "sinners" around us, asking God to forgive them and help them see their shortcomings.
I know this woman who is a great and loyal friend, but who can be prideful and self-righteous many times in our conversations.  This woman can be judgmental at times and entertains gossip more than she should.  You see, the one thing I have prayed about with this woman is the fact that she continues to deny her own sin.  She can immediately see the sins of others yet fails to admit her own sin.  She often brushes off her sin as an accident or an indiscretion, which a quick "my bad" can fix.
If you haven't already guessed this woman is actually me.  Yes, I, like you, am a sinner. It is just as easy for me to overlook my own sins as I sit back and judge the sins of others.  Romans 3:23 reminds us that we ALL have sinned.  Everyone of us has sin in our lives.  We ALL fall short of the glory of God.  Yet there is Hope!
If you stop at verse 23, you would assume that the verse would go on to say the following -- "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and now there will be hell to pay!"  Yet, verse 24 offers hope not damnation.  We are "justified freely by his grace!"  Praise the Lord!
As you spend time with Lord, don't just stop at praying for the other sinners in your lives.  Pray for the sinner in your own life!    

Where There Is Hope...

"Be strong and take heart, all of you who hope in the Lord."  Psalm 31:24

If you have turned on any type of media lately, you have definitely seen the devastation in our lands over the past year.  From earthquakes, tsunami warnings, tornado outbreaks, to tornado fatalities the devastation goes on and on.  As I awoke Monday morning, I found the news of the day was yet another tornado in the Midwest.  The pictures told a tale of complete devastation and the loss of life was unbelievable.  I am sure that your initial reaction was much like my own -- sorrow and sadness.
Yet my next reaction was of prayer but maybe not for what you think.  You see, I began to pray that the Lord show Himself to the world before our time here on earth comes to an end.  I see the people on the television who seem to be lost in sorrow and devastation, and I pray for them.  I pray for their hearts.  I pray for their health.  I pray Psalm 31:24 into their lives.
I love Job 11:18 -- "You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety."  If anyone understands complete sorrow and sadness that comes with a life devastated, then it would be Job.  Yet Job had hope in the Savior of the world.  Job had hope in his God.
There are numerous verses in the Bible that speak of hope.  Below are some of my favorites.
-- Psalm 33:20  "We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield."
-- Psalm 33:23  "May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you."
-- Psalm 62:5  "Yes, my soul finds rest in God; my hope comes from him."
-- Isaiah 40:31  "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength...."
Have you ever experienced sorrow and sadness?  Have you ever been in the pit and felt your life was in complete devastation?  Have you ever held onto your hope in the Lord and found your way into His grace and mercy and have a testimony to share?
May the Lord be with the people of Joplin, Missouri as well as the areas affected across the South from the previous outbreak of tornadoes.  May they find rest in His comforting arms.