"Untreated disappointments with God lead to Disobedience.'

"Untreated disappointments with God lead to disobedience." Beth Moore says this in one of her studies- and - what a truth!
Who has not been 'disappointed' with God - or might we say - unhappy with some situation or event, etc in our life that we 'know' God can change, but does not. We ask 'why?' and cannot understand or 'will' not understand or simply don't go there with God and continue in our misery and complaining and struggling. The situations may be small or large - but they 'feel' huge and eternal.
We must learn to look at the character of God and believe in His sovereignty and goodness. he is not harsh. As Lewis says in Narnia, God is good, but He is not safe. He is good! And he has our best interests at heart. He is completing what He began in us.
We are a fallen race and we live in a fallen world. But the way is always 'through' and 'to the other side.' When God brought the children of Israel to the Red Sea, He promised to take the 'through' it to the other side. Think what that walk 'through' was like.
When Uzzah touched the Ark and was struck dead, (2 Sam. 6) note how angry and afraid David became. He did not - or would not understand what happened. He did not like what God had done. He was disappointed and angry with God.
We are disappointed with and angry with God much too often. Why? because we want to do things - have things - the way we want them and think best. We do not see the big picture and humanly do not want God's ways and best. we have fallen hearts.
We still think our ways of doing things are better than God's. We would do it without suffering and hardship. We would be weak and faulty people and Christians.
Living in a fallen world, we will encounter much hardship and heart-ache. How we go through it matters!!
1. God is Good.
2. God is in control.

Disappointment means we still think our way is better than God's way.
If we do not deal with our disappointments and discouragements, etc. we will default our way into disobedience. Really!
Our trouble may come on us like rain on the innocent, but what will we do with it?
Do not let our trouble grow into sin.
God has us at every certain place for a reason - and He will work it for our good.
We do not want to be anywhere except where God has us.
Basing our faith on who God is rather than what He appears to be doing is crucial.
We must go through our disappointments - and we will - but there is reason for them.
Do not be as the Israelites looking back at the leeks and onions of Egypt before they went through the Red Sea. Go through in peace and confidence that this too has a reason - it will lead to joy and dancing and freedom and use.

Phil. 3:10 says -"that I may know Him and the power of His Resurrection" -
Living with or in the power of Christ takes a great deal of power and effort and discipline and yet , it is all up to the Holy Spirit.
The resurrection of Jesus validates His life. Through it is the conquest of sin and the devil.
When I become a Christian, I am sealed with the Holy Spirit - this is guarentee of salvation and life. Ephesians 1:13 says we 'hear' and 'believe' and are 'sealed' with the promise of the Holy Spirit who is our guarentee of our inheritance..
The whole first chapter of Ephesians is so wonderufl about our spiritual blessings in Christ!! as is 1 Peter 1:3
Eph. 1:3 - '...who has (past tense) blessed us with EVERY spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus.."
Therefore, I HAVE - ALL - I need. I could go on and on about this!!! but I want to share a thought I heard at a conference recently - it has continued to resonate in my thinking.
To really understand the blessing of the Resurrection, we can be reminded about the story of Mary of Magdalene who was freed from seven demons. Thus the village of Magdalene is known as a village of evil - or evil-haunting. Mary was 'evil-haunted' and thus shaped by it - they affected her beliefs, actions, thoughts, emotions, etc. Those were the voices she lived with and which determined her daily life. How awful!!! I may not have a demon, but I allow myself to listen to wrong voices and am just as bad as she was. I still do, apart from walking with Christ.
What voices do we listen to and allow to determine how I live? good question!!
One day Jesus came and set her FREE!! and now her love for Him eclipsed everything.
How do we learn to let our love for Him eclipse all other voices we hear?
Back to Mary - Mary has been forever known as Mary Magdalene. She is known by what was wrong with her and who she 'was.' Why would God want her to remember her darkness?
Because remembering her darkness highlights Resurrection power!!! She knew where she came FROM and rejoiced in her freedom.
Scriptures from old to new testaments tell us to 'remember.' Why? Because if we don't, we get to thinking that we are pretty good or can handle this - Also Luke 7:47 teaches that 'he who is forgiven little, loves little.' We NEED to know and really believe just how much we are forgiven!! TOTALLY. it is so easy to think there is still some goodness in us. there isn't!
Resurrection power is everything!!
The same power that raised Christ from the dead is within me through the person of the Holy Spirit. I have the same Holy Spirit and power that Jesus did when He was on earth!! WOW!!
How much is that. Can I - not yield to sin? YES can I love another? YES - "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!!"
Remember who I was
Know who He is
with humble strength - who I am
How?
Behold Him - Look unto Jesus - Consider Him

"Never be sympathetic with the soul whose case makes you come to the conclusion that God is hard. God is more tender than we can conceive and every now and then He gives us the chance of being the rugged one that He may be the tender one." MUFHH -12/19
Matthew 10:34 - 'I came not to bring peace, but a sword.'

'If a man cannot get through to God, it is because there is a secret thing he does not intend to give up.' 'People want the blessing of God, but they will not stand the thing that goes straight to the quick.' His message is merciless insistence on whatever keeps us from all He has for us.
'There must be a sense of need before the message of use.' I must see myself as he sees me and be desirous and willing to say 'take my life and let me be, consecrated Lord to Thee.'

1Peter 1:16 - 'Be ye holy as I am holy.' - a command. He does not give commands that we cannot keep. So? usually my problem is that I do not want to 'give something up' - usually my 'right' or myself. God wants us to be willing to give it ALL up - yet that does not mean that He will TAKE it or them - just that we must be willing to lay it all at His feet. All that we have comes from and returns to Him. why don't I? - I do not really believe that God is good. If I did understand and believe the depth of His goodness and love and plan.

Matthew 5:48 - "Therefore, you must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.'

2 Cor. 12:9 - 10 .."My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
It is all about DEPENDENCE on Him and the Holy Spirit!!
1 Cor. 9:22 - 'when I am weak, then I am strong.'

Phil. 4:13 - 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.'

from My Utmost for His Highest - Nov. 23rd (my mom's birthday!)

Three distractions to spiritual growth.
1. The cares of the world. the desire for things, position, power, wrong priorities that make us
prejudiced against anyone else.
2. The desire for vindication. St Augustine prayed "O Lord, deliver me from always vindicating
myself." why do I always feel I must 'explain' myself - get people to understand? Our Lord
never explained Himself.. he was secure in who He was.
3. Spiritual discernment. which can lead to criticism or spiritual pride.
God never gives us discernment to criticize or to be proud - only to pray!

These - and many others - distract us from purity of heart.

"Complaining is refusing to see anything but ourselves." It is a choice to keep something revolving around 'me' and what I want, what suits me the best, what I 'think' is right, etc.
We are told to do ALL things WITHOUT complaining and grumbling. (Phil. 4:13) All of Phil. 4 and Eph. 5 talk about 'walking in love' and as 'lights.' Complaining keeps one from both of these.
The opposite of complaining is GRATITUDE. WOW! How can we be grateful in the midst of a terrible situation? Only by continuing to 'put my mind on things above,' 'by 'looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith.' By believing in the Sovereignty of God - that He will 'work ALL things together for good to them who love God.' (Rom. 8:28) - By believing that He engineers all circumstances for his Glory. So - do I want His will and Glory?
I also KNOW that I have 'human responsibility' in this world. and that we live in a 'fallen world.'
God is not the author of evil.

So - just HOW can I be grateful, how do I develop and attitude of gratitude?
Gratitude takes the focus off of self, and presupposes a GIVER - God.
Gratitude is a CHOICE. Do/will I 'choose' (one part of human responsibility) to trust God - that He can work 'this' out for His glory and will?

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost."

Remember the Israelites in the wilderness. God had blessed, was blessing - even though it was hard. But they could not SEE what He was doing and complained and asked to go back into slavery. Hind sight is so clear.

His goal is always the same - to fit us for Heaven and bring others to Himself. All will work for those things always.
When we give thanks, there is no room for grumbling and/or complaining about what we lack or envy to or from others. It makes the heart be at peace and frees it with gladness which results in spilling out to others with acts of kindness and generosity.

1 Thess. 5:18; Phil. 4:6,7; Rev. 7:12; Job1:21; Hebrews 13:15,16.

Gal. 2:20 -I am crucified with Christ, yet now I no longer live, yet 'not I, but Christ' liveth in me and the live I live by faith in the Son of God.

these words, 'not I, but Christ' - herein lies a key to walking in the Spirit, to freedom in Christ, to joy, to peace, etc. etc.
It has been taught that 'I' have 'no rights.' so true. I assume so much, and none of it is really true as long as self is first - it is me deceiving myself.
1 Cor. 6:20 and 7:23 tell us that we are bought with a price and 'are not our own.' So why do we think and act like we are our own? we aren't, whether we live that way or not.

I read the other day that it is not a matter of giving up sin, but giving up my right to myself, my natural independence - and this is where the battle is fought. When I give up 'my' rights, then the giving up of anything else is easy - or easier - a little.

Jesus said , 'If any man would be my disciple, let him deny himself.' Matt 16:24 tough!

yet why is that? In 'reality' when we 'give up ourselves' and want God's will, it is always the Best - sometimes it is in 'the long view - eternity' because, we always want what we think is best according to what we 'see' and 'have.'

Oswald Chambers says that "the characteristics of individuality are independence and self-assertiveness. It is the continual assertion of individuality that hinders our spiritual life more than anything else." mufhh, day12/11

in the world today we are taught that to be 'great' - we should be 'ourselves' - me-first, how does it affect me? - if i don't take up for me, no one will - etc etc. we strive to be independent and put our good first. -

Jesus taught just the opposite - deny self. Phil. 2:1-11.

Things in the spiritual world of Almighty God - the maker of heaven and earth - sovereign God, etc. things are so often opposite of what they 'seem.' To save our life, we 'lose it.' the first shall be last. give to receive. die to live!! be 'captive to be FREE.'
These truths are only understandable by revelation and the willingness to yield.

Give us grac, God, so that we may live and honor You.
why do be wait so long? we 'think' we know best for us. We DON"T.

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." FDR - 1933 (not true, but a great stepping off place to talk about fear.

"Fear is the path to the dark side. - Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose."
another interesting statement. from "Star Wars: Episode I" written by George Lucas. would this mean that true fearlessness would come from complete detachment - from people, etc. Surely this is not the way of God.

Solution - "Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:34
"do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6,7.

okay - how do we do that? so much has to do with where our minds go - what we think on -
Phil. 4:8,9 goes on to say - "Finally,brothers, whtsoever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, THINK about these things....and the God of peace will be with you."

Fear, itself, is not a totally bad thing. We are told to 'fear God." and we should!!
To understand the root of our fears will bring us to an understanding of the nature of our fear and its proper place in our lives. Another admonition is to fear lest any of us fall short of the glory of God.
Growth in Grace deals with fear.