1. Don’t Harden your Heart

Hebrews 3:7 “Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.”” 

• Israel saw the wonders of the Lord in ways that you might think should have created rock solid faith. Yet, a soon as Israel went through trials ranging from minor to major we see that they hardened their hearts, quickly forgot who God was, and turned to their own way.

Isaiah‬ ‭55:8-9‬ ‭AMP‬‬ “'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts higher than your thoughts.'"

• Can the Lord trust you to trust him when you’ve obeyed and things don’t turn out the way you thought they should?

2. How Deeply is your Faith Planted

Matthew 13 whole chapter

• Is there evidence of growth and fruit in your life? What, if taken away, is a deal breaker in your relationship with the Lord? Despite your environment you can have good soil. If you have good soil, and your roots go deep into the Lord, you can withstand the fiercest storm.

1 John 4:4 NLT "But, you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. 

3. Don’t Lose Sight of Christ

John 6:15-25 Jesus walks on the water.

• The disciples were professional fisherman, well versed in boating, with a working knowledge of the sea and storms. This storm had them afraid for their lives. Then Jesus, who had been away spending time with the Father, comes walking out to them on the water. Peter, although afraid of the storm, musters up enough courage to say, “ if it is you Lord, let me walk out to you on the water.” The Lord calls Peter out of the boat, and Peter walks on water. Yet, as soon as Peter looks away from the Lord and focuses back on the storm he immediately starts to sink. This was a real time lesson on focus. The Lord could have taught the disciples about focus, the day before when they were safe on dry land. Instead, Jesus taught the disciples how to trust and focus right in the midst of the trial. Experience is best teacher.

4. Cling Tenaciously

Hebrews‬ ‭4:14-16‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

5. Worship and Thanksgiving are Weapons

2 Chronicles 20:20-24 “Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. On the way Jehoshaphat stopped and said, “Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.” After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: “Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!” At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves.” 

• Praise is what we do to secure victory in battle; by engaging in praise, we transfer our battles to Him. It is a God-given weapon in our hands, with which to humiliate the devil.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

• Like worship, when we thank the Lord for all He has done and for who He is to us the enemy can’t be anywhere near and won’t be able to harden our hearts. Thanksgiving reminds us of the faithfulness and nearness of the Lord in our past and present, so that we can hope in Him for the future.

6. Read your Word, and Fellowship

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:8-9‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”‬‬

Proverbs 18:10 NLT "The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe. 

Joshua 1:8 NLT "Study this Book of instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do."

Hebrews 10:24 "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

7. We walk in the Spirit to the degree that we talk to the Holy Spirit.

Romans‬ ‭8:26-28‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

Matthew‬ ‭10:19-20‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”

2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT "We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."

• If our relationship with the Lord is alive, well, and deep; we will know Him, hear His voice, and be able to patiently wait on Him in trust.

8. Give yourself Grace

Romans‬ ‭3:23-24‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.”

• When faced with disappointment we will find ourselves thinking and feeling all kinds of emotions; true and untrue. Feelings and emotions are God given and serve a purpose for His glory. We just need His strength to discern them, steward them well and have self-control so that we are careful how we react. We should not feel bad, ashamed, or give into self-condemnation but instead we should let the Lord be our filter.

2 Corinthians‬ ‭10:4-5‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.”

9. Understand the depth of sin, the exchange that took place (Jesus laying down his life for mine), the grace that we have been given, and the love He lavishes on us.

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭1:9‬ ‭NLT “For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.”

Ephesians 3:18 NLT "And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God."

10. His timing and His plans are perfect

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Isaiah‬ ‭64:4‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!” 

1 Corinthians‬ ‭2:9‬ ‭NLT “That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.””

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In closing, our ability to have the hope of Christ in disappointment depends on our ability to understand deeply the depth of sin, the exchange that took place (Jesus laying down his life for mine), and the grace that we have been given. If we can get a handle on these truths we won’t be able to find hope in any other source.

Miracles, signs and wonders from the Lord are wonderful and beyond our comprehension. However, there is equally something so deeply powerful and miraculous about a believer who in great faith can stand firm on the rock of Jesus Christ in the midst of disappointment. This kind of endurance speaks loudly to an unbelieving world.

Lord Jesus, you are our anchor. Our hope is found in nothing less than Your blood and righteousness. We want to be women and men who trust that You have a plan, even when we don’t see or understand it. Help us to trust You, and to patiently wait on You. There will never be a time where You step away and we are left to figure out the mess. Even when You feel distant and far away, help us to know that you are in our midst, and you are close to the broken hearted. You faced every kind of disappointment this world has to offer and You dove deeper into relationship with the Father. Your word says that this is true. Help, us to take you at your word. Pour out Your Holy Spirit on us. We need your peace that surpasses all understanding and Your joy that is eternally ours no matter what. Give us the ability to tune out anxiety and instead pause to hear from you. In Jesus name I pray Amen.