REFLECTIONS
March 29, 2009
From the Archives October 29, 2006
 
 
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
Revelation 3:7
 
 
Life’s Disappointments
 
Sometimes things just don’t work out. Sometimes the job we wanted, the trophy we sought, the relationship we chased, or the house we dreamed of just doesn’t happen the way we hoped. Some things are just not to be—at least the way we dreamed them.
God opens doors that invite us to pursue a dream, but He also closes doors that leave our dreams short of the desire we had for them. We should not feel alone. God also closed doors for some of his most significant people. Just look at Moses.
God opened and closed doors on Moses throughout his life. He opened a door when He spared his life in a basket. God closed a door when He expelled Moses into the desert from his position of royalty. Surely it was one of life’s disappointments. And God was not through. Another door was opened when Moses was called to lead his people to the Promised Land. Yet there was still a disappointment to come. Moses led his people to the destination, but was not allowed to enter himself. One of life’s disappointments.
Then there was King David—what a champion for God! God opened doors to make him king and what a king he was. David loved God. He talked about God, he wrote about God and he danced about God. One of David’s great dreams was to recover the Ark of the Covenant from the enemy and to build a temple to God to house it. The Ark was recovered, but God closed a door when David wanted to build the temple. It was one of life’s disappointments.
There was also the disappointment of Apostle Paul. Paul longed to go to Rome. It was his dream destination. He would finally make it there, but his dream did not envision a trip bound in chains. Paul suffered one of life’s disappointments.
Sometimes things just don’t work out. But they work out for God. The Hebrews reached the Promised Land, the temple was built for the Lord, and Paul had an audience in Rome. None of these dreams were fulfilled in the way the dreamer had hoped, but by pursuing the dream they honored God.
Life’s disappointments are part of living. God gives us dreams to pursue. When we pursue those dreams we honor Him.
And when we honor Him, there is no disappointment.
 
“You are the light of the world.”
RichardÌ


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