Disappointed at God?

Have you ever expected God to answer your prayers, but He didn't?

Have things turned out to be exactly the opposite of what you desired or hoped for?

You are not alone. Dealing with disappointments can be difficult, especially when you feel that God has failed you because He didn't come thought for you, or He denied your request. Through the centuries people have been struggling with the same thing you and I struggle with; trusting God when things don't go as planned.

Let's take a look at Palm Sunday, the day when Jesus entered triumphantly into Jerusalem and people were expressing their loyalty to Him.

Luke 19: 35-40

Luke 19:35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

After witnessing Jesus' miracles and hearing His teachings, many in Jerusalem were ready to crown Jesus as their King and Savior. They were ready for political freedom from Rome, and Jesus seemed to be the right man for the job.

As He entered the city they cried out, "Hosanna to the son of David!"

Translation? A descendant of King David had been prophesied about (2 Samuel 7:12-13, and Psalm 2:4-9). He would come, give freedom to His people and rule over Israel. Luke tells us that the people called Jesus 'their king'. Clearly, they were ready to submit to His authority, right? Then the unexpected happens. Jesus goes into the Temple and overturns the money changers' tables and calls the money changers 'thieves'. The next day He begins to tell a series of parables calling the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law 'unfaithful servants who will receive God's punishment'. He calls them 'hypocrites, blind guides, snakes, brood of vipers condemned to hell'...and things begin to turn sour from there...

The Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law were ready to get rid of Jesus, and for some reason, those who on Sunday were crying, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of The Lord!", by Passover were easily convinced to cry out, "Crucify him".

What happened? How did they go from declaring Jesus their King, to deciding to get rid of Him in just a few days? 

Jesus didn't meet their expectations, He didn't follow their script.

We all have an idea of how things are supposed to be. We have plans for our future; we have desires in our heart that we expect God to grant and fulfill. Unfortunately for us, God's plans are often very different from ours. He doesn't follow our 'script' either. Instead, He surprises us with unexpected circumstances. Many times things go contrary to our desires, making us doubt whether God even cares about our happiness and well being.

When disappointment comes our way, and we doubt that God has our best interest in mind, it's very easy for us to take matters into our own hands. We attempt to manipulate the circumstances surrounding us to achieve the desired outcome. In the process, we ditch God and His plans, because if He won't give me what I need, then “I  don't need Him in charge of my life!”...most of us would dare admit it, or say it, but deep down in our hearts it's what we feel.

Somehow, we treat God as our means, not our end. We see Him as the genie in the lamp who must grant our wishes...or else. Before we even realize it, in our minds, God is OUR servant. And in this mixed-up state of mind, we begin to believe that a God who will not grant our every wish is not worth following. After all, who needs a King or a Lord, right? 

None of us have a problem accepting a Savior. We all want a knight in shining armor, or a super hero who will save the day. I mean, that's the reason box office profits shoot through the roof every time a new super hero movie comes out.

Who wants a Lord though? Lord and King means required submission, even when we disagree with the decisions...Who wants to sign up for total submission when you don't get a say? 

That's exactly what happened to Jesus' followers. Savior? SURE!!! Lord? NO THANKS! Crucify Him!!! Get rid of the One who wants to have authority over my life and is not giving me what I want.

Disappointment can quickly turn into dislike for God and His decisions. It can create a distance between us and our only source of hope. 

Surely we can ditch God and live life on our own. We can choose to make our own rules and become our own king or queen. But sooner or later we will all come to grips with the reality that God is ultimately in control, whether we like or not. We can choose to live far from Him, but that will only mean we won't get any of His help, comfort, or peace in times of need. His will and plan will ultimately come to pass regardless of our cooperation, or lack thereof, but our lives far from Him, and outside of His blessing and protection, will not be pleasant. 

The people of Jesus' day decided to get rid of Him and in the process they pledged allegiance to Caesar, "We have no king but Caesar" (John 19:15) they cried. A few years later, their Temple was destroyed and they were scattered and killed by a Caesar. By rejecting Jesus, they came out from under God's protection, thus  becoming vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy. 

Yet, their solution to the problem, crucifying Jesus, resulted in victory and achieved God's ultimate plan. Jesus resurrected and His blood paid the price for our redemption! What the enemy meant for evil, God used for good. 

Unexpected turn of circumstances can cause us to get discouraged and disappointed. However, we must always remember that God knows things we can't even begin to imagine. There are possibilities we could never anticipate or consider. God makes moves that make no sense to us, but in the end, when it's all said and done, they not only make perfect sense, they also result in victory. He knows the end from the beginning, which means that when we don't have the benefit of turning the page and knowing how the story ends, but He does.

Let's trust Him. Even in the midst of adversity and pain, remember that He knows how the story ends; so instead of removing Him from your life when the going gets tough, cling to Him with all your might. He IS the only hope, help, and solution you've got!

Be blessed,

ServingHim