Dis-Appointment

Habakkuk 3:17-18. Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to tread on the heights.

Disappointment. A common experience. Can be debilitating. Can lead to depression.  But it happens to us all the time; it’s a part of life, and always has been. We have all experienced disappointing situations; perhaps we didn’t get the marks in an exam that we hoped for. Or we failed the driving test for the third time, or we arrived on holiday to find the beach in the brochure was now a building site. Or someone promised to do something for us, but they forgot.  But in the end, it’s how we handle disappointment that matters.

After the recent election, there are quite a few politicians, no doubt, who are having to deal with disappointment. For a variety of reasons. But in their shoes, how would I react? Would I feel sorry for myself? Or would I get angry, looking for something or someone to blame? Or would I try to rationalise the disappointment, concocting answers and explanations to make me feel better? Or would I ….?

But Habakkuk tells me how I should approach disappointment – seeing beyond it because of my relationship with God, because He believes in me, because in Him I have a future, giving me an opportunity to see beyond the circumstances and then rejoice regardless. How?  By reminding me that when I look to God I will get a different perspective.  A right perspective. A resourced perspective. A Heavenly perspective.

O God! Please forgive us all for dwelling on a dis-appointment, when a Divine appointment is always available!