God can turn your disappointments into blessings

Many times, we feel disappointed or dejected over some life experiences. When we pray so hard over a particular challenge and it appears we are not getting the required answer, we tend to get agitated and conclude that God has rejected us. But have we taken time to understand the underlining factor behind those seeming unanswered prayers? Has it ever occurred to us that the ‘delay’ by God to answer our prayers may actually be for our own good? Check the story of James above. He was sad because he could not occupy that last seat, not knowing that it would have been a direct passport to his grave.

Perhaps you are a spinster longing for a good husband. You suddenly come across a dashing young man, who sweeps you off your feet. Excited, you rush to your parents and other family members to announce that you have found Mr. Right at last. To your disappointment, they all objected to the planned union. But blinded by love, you refused to see reason with them. However, just before the wedding date is fixed, you are advised to embark on some retreat, coupled with prayer and fasting. And interestingly, God allows you to have a peep into the true lifestyle and character of your proposed husband. You are shocked to realise that he is a fraudster and has been married severally. Yes, you are disappointed, but God just saved you from a much bigger disappointment and heartbreak that would have accompanied you into the proposed marriage.

Often, we act like children, easily moved by all the glitz that surrounds us. We want to lick every candy that comes our way, not realising that they care capable of injuring our dentition. We scheme to occupy important positions, not knowing what would be the eventual outcome. I know of a young man, who duped another to buy a brand new car. On his way home, after a night outing, where he had gone to celebrate his latest acquisition, he died in an accident.

In our desperation to satisfy the yearnings of our heart, we fail to realise that not everything that appears good is actually good for us. As humans, our scope of understanding is very limited. But God sees beyond the present, far into the future. He knows the beginning from the end. His desire for us is that we prosper and live fully. However, these can only be possible, if we place all our cares and worries on Him. A popular song amplifies this fact: ‘Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone; because I know He owns my future, and life is worth living just because He lives.’

God knows our future from the beginning. He wants us to place all our hopes, fears and aspirations into His hands. Sometimes, life may appear to be treating you wrongly, but you must not despair. The road we pass may meander through several sharp bends, but it ultimately leads to a destination. When it seems we are laden with tribulations, we must resist the urge to give up. Rather, let us cry unto God, Who is more than able to deliver us from all our troubles.