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Have you ever looked forward to an event, only to face disappointment? Have you ever counted the days to a special gathering, only to feel it slipping away?
I admit – I did last night.
I have been counting the days until Thanksgiving. All my children and grandchildren were planning to come home. I was beyond excited.
However, with Governor Cooper’s new executive order to lower indoor gatherings to ten people, I quickly felt Thanksgiving was in jeopardy.
As a steady stream of disappointments of 2020 march before me, I must repeatedly catch my thought life from spiraling towards negativity. Sometimes, I am talking myself off the mental ledge. I must remind my soul there is still good and joy around me.
Friends, do you know we serve a God of good promises? His promises for my disappointment is exactly what I need to combat a bummed attitude. So, if you, like me, are facing disappointment this 2020, here are some things helping me:
God promises to be close to the brokenhearted. If you are hurting or feel your heart breaking today, I believe the Lord holds you ever so tightly. You are not forgotten. He is holding you close and will encourage your crushed spirit.
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18 (ESV)
The Lord promises to give strength. When tired and weary, He gives strength. God wants you to soar like an eagle. Place your hope in Him, and He will renew your vigor.
“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)
No matter what you are facing, God promises to help you. He is on your team. He holds you by your hand and will give you the help you need to move forward.
Isaiah 41:13 (NIV) “For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”
God promises to give hope and a future. God has created you with a good plan and a deep purpose in mind. He wants to give you a bright future and a living hope.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)
God promises to work all things out for our good. God is good at taking our mistakes and rearranging our mess to create a message. God is good at taking ashes and turning them into something beautiful. Trust the Redeemer to redeem your broken pieces. He is able to work all things for good to them that love Him and are called to His purpose.
Friends, God is a good God and full of good, good promises. Lean into His promises, and they will carry you on your hardest of hard days.
And for my Thanksgiving plans, I will rethink. Replan. But I will not allow myself to live in disappointment. We will meet – maybe outdoors. Maybe, we will gather in smaller groups, over a couple of days. Perhaps we will start a new tradition. We will figure it out – But this I know – Life is good because of His good promises, and I refuse to believe anything else.