Verse
of the day: Genesis 26:34-35 When
Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the
Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35 And they
were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah.
How do we
handle life’s disappointments? The fact of the matter is that disappointments,
and discouragement, will come; and it will often come at the hands of someone
close to us. In this case, it was Esau who brought great disappointment to his
parents. Yes, we are all human, and whether we are parent or child, best
friend, or someone else we look up to, or care about dearly, we will inevitably
do something that will disappoint, or even shatter the image that we have created
of whoever the person is. Esau, now a forty year old man, has done something
that Abraham was very careful not to allow Isaac to violate (Gen 24:1-4), and
married Hittite women (women of Canaan). Because of his actions, Esau is referred
to as a fornicator and profane person (or ungodly) in Hebrews 12:16. Isaac had
just experienced a victory, and blessing, in his life, after all the troubles
he had with the Philistines in respect to the water wells. Now, the
disappointment, after the victory, came from within his family. How do we handle
such disappointments when they arise? Our enemies, the devil and his demons, would
love to use these occasions to make us forget the victories and the blessings
that God gives us. Elijah had a great victory over the prophets of Baal; yet,
right after that victory, he allowed himself to be discouraged by a threat the
came from Jezebel (1 Kings 18-19). He ran for his life, hid in a cave, and his
distress was so great that he desired that the Lord would take his life (1
Kings 19:4). King David, in 2 Samuel 7, experienced disappointment when God
told him the he would not be the one to build the Lord’s Temple. In both Elijah’s,
and King David’s, disappointment, their ability to overcome had everything to
do with God being the solution. In Elijah’s case, God came to him, and sent him
on another mission, reassuring him that his thoughts on being the only one left
who was faithful to the Lord were false, as God had reserved seven thousand in
Israel who had not turned to Baal worship (1 Kings 19:18). King David’s
response to the message, via Nathan, from God, that he would not build the
Temple, was to go before the Lord, worship Him, and recount all the victories
and blessings of God (2 Samuel 7:18-29). The bottom line is that it is too easy
to focus on what goes wrong, and allow our eyes to be drawn away from the good
that God has already done, and will continue to do. We get so down on
ourselves, or become so brokenhearted about what others have done, that we
forget God’s promises. Sadly, the last thing too many of us want to hear in the
midst of discouragement is the very thing that will lift us up; God’s truth.
Psalm 34:18 tells us that the Lord is near to the broken heart. This should bring
us great comfort and encouragement. Psalm 147:3 tells us that He heals the
brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. In those times when it seems that no
matter how much good we do, things just seem to go backwards, we need to
remember Galatians 6:9, “And let
us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do
not lose heart.” Disappointments will come and go. Let us not allow them
to draw us away from God’s goodness to us. Instead, let us turn to the Lord,
and recount the victories and blessings that we have in Him, regardless of what
He allows to come our way. Disappointment, and discouragement, is just more
opportunity to draw near to God and experience His amazing grace and comfort.
Isaiah 26:3 reminds us, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is
stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
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