Disappointment and Sorrow

All of us have had, or will experience, disappointment and sorrow. When difficulties discourage us, the feelings that come from these setbacks are not appreciated. However, disappointments, sorrow and other kinds of emotions are part of life. Someone may say something or do something that is opposite of what we thought they would say or do. A broken relationship, sickness, or loss of a loved one may cause sorrow. Though disappointments, sorrow, and grief will sometimes be more than we can bear, there can still be a ray of hope. In writing to the people at Corinth, the Apostle Paul said, “I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds” (2 Corinthians 7:4). Notice the aspects of this verse which are related to disappointments:

1)    People are Important.  The statements “I have great confidence in you” and “I take great pride in you” imply that the Apostle Paul was doing what he could to encourage the people to whom he was writing.

2)    Difficulties Abound.  “All our troubles” suggests that Paul faced great difficulties because obstacles and problems confronted him along the way.

3)    Encouragement is needed.  When Paul said, “I am greatly encouraged” people understood that he was being positive about the action they had taken and he was also providing encouragement and hope to help build them up.

4)    Joy is Available in Abundance.  It might seem contradictory, but the phrase, “My joy knows no bounds” helps us understand that even through difficulties, Paul experienced great contentment, peace, and unbelievable joy.

You might wonder how Paul could have extraordinary joy while going through difficulties. In the Bible, Nehemiah said, “Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). God can, and will, provide strength for you and give you joy that does not depend on any specific situation. Even though you may experience disappointment, sorrow. or grief the Lord stands ready to provide the help that you need. If you put your confidence in God, trusting Him as your savior and Lord, you will find extraordinary joy that you never knew was possible.

What difficulty are you facing today that is discouraging? What makes you feel like you should give up? Turn to God and put your trust in him as your Savior and Lord.  He is ready to provide extraordinary help and much joy through your difficulties and sorrow.

God Knows You By Name

On Sunday morning, February 1, 2003, many people sat stunned in silence and unbelief as they heard reports and saw the video of the breakup of the Space Shuttle Columbia during its re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere.  With the loss of the shuttle and its crew the entire nation was plunged into a state of mourning and grief.  Shortly after the mishap, President George W. Bush said, “The same Creator who names the stars also knows the names of the seven souls we mourn today.”

It is interesting to note that the Bible tells us that God does know us personally.  In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me” (John 10:14).  The psalmist also shared the same thing when he said, “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name” (Psalm 91:14).

Amid national and personal grief – which even continues to this day – our only hope comes from the author of hope the Lord Jesus himself.  The Bible tells us, “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word” (II Thessalonians 2:16-17).  Norman Clayton expressed how important hope is when he wrote the Christian hymn, “My Hope is in the Lord.” Think about these words of this song:

1)   My hope is in the Lord / Who gave Himself for me / And paid the price of all my sin at Calvary.

2)    No merit of my own / His anger to suppress / My only hope is found in Jesus’ righteousness.

3)    And now for me He stands / Before the Father’s throne / He shows His wounded hands and names me as His own.

4)  His grace has planned it all / ’Tis mine but to believe / And recognize His work of love and Christ receive

Chorus:  For me He died / For me He lives / And everlasting life and light He freely gives.

Aren’t you glad that God knows you by name and He provides the hope that you and all of us need from day to day?  And aren’t you glad that Jesus has made it possible, through faith, for you and others to know Him personally and live with Him eternally?   “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).  "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God" (John 1:12-13).

He Knows Your Name

On the morning, February 1, 2003, many people sat stunned in silence and unbelief as they heard reports and saw video of the break-up of the Space Shuttle, Columbia, during its re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere.  The loss of the shuttle crew plunged the entire nation into a state of mourning and grief.  Shortly after the mishap, our President, George W. Bush said, “The same Creator who names the stars also knows the names of the seven souls we mourn today.”  Although he didn’t state a Biblical chapter and verse, I thought of what Jesus said in the Gospel of John.  He said, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me” (John 10:14).

Notice four things this verse communicates.

1)    Jesus is a shepherd.  The first responsibility of a shepherd is to take care of the sheep that are entrusted to him.

2)    Jesus is the good shepherd.  A good shepherd does everything he can to support and nurture his sheep in loving and gentle ways.

3)    Jesus has intimate knowledge of his sheep.  A shepherd has more than a passing knowledge of his sheep—he knows them intimately.  John says, “He calls his own sheep and knows them by name” (John 10:3).

4)    The sheep of Jesus know their shepherd. There is opportunity for the sheep to have knowledge of and intimacy with the Good Shepherd.  Jesus never forces His sheep to know Him.  Through gentle love, care, and nurture, Jesus’ sheep desire to respond to Him in a positive manner.

Amid national and personal grief, our only hope is in the Lord.  Aren’t you glad that God knows you by name?  Aren’t you glad that He has made it possible, through faith, for you to know Him personally and live with Him eternally?