Skip to main content

Thursday... Sometimes it seems that we are a disappointment.


Luke 13:8 (NLT), "Then Jesus told this story: 'A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he always was disappointed.'"

Thursday... Sometimes it seems that we are a disappointment.

Do you ever feel that you are a disappointment and you feel so worthless? 

Luke 13:8 (NLT) says, "Then Jesus told this story: 'A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he always was disappointed.'"


Now he doesn't stop there but that is where so many stop. They find that they are a disappointment and they just stop. And that is true of the other side, the one who is disappointed. They too just stop and live with it.

Jesus continues his story. In verse 7 he says, "Finally, he said to his gardner, 'I've waited three years, and there hasn't been a single fig! Cut it down. It's just taking up space in the garden." And that is one way to handle it. And that is how so many people solve the problem. They just give up. It's just a waste of time. They just aren't living up to my expectation for them and even for myself.

My dad said something that has stayed with me. He said, "Too high expectation brings about frustration." And that can be so true. Maybe our expectations for us and for them are too high and that is where our disappointment comes in. Maybe we need to stop and reevaluate before we just give up.

I love verse 8. Jesus goes on and says, "The gardner answered, 'Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I'll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer."  And then verse 9, "If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down."

Disappointment can be such a defeating word or it can be a wakeup call. It is our choice.

Proverbs 24:13-14 says, "My child, eat honey, for it is sweet to the taste. In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, you will have a bright future, and your hopes will not be cut short."

Maybe we need some wisdom here. Maybe this disappointment can be seen as honey, sweet to the taste.  "In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, you will have a bright future, and your hopes will not be cut short." Yes, we need wisdom in our lives to really evaluate our disappointments. "If you find it, you will have a bright future, and your hopes will not be cut short."

Yes, disappointment can be your friend. 

Proverbs 24:12 says, "Don't excuse yourself by saying, 'Look, we didn't know.' For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve." Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday... I wonder what would happen if we didn't take the credit?

Nehemiah 6:16b (NLT), "They realized this work had been done with the help of our God." Tuesday... I wonder what would happen if we didn't take the credit? Over in the Old Testament in the book of Nehemiah it tells of a major task that through the leadership of Nehemiah was accomplished. The walls of Jerusalem had been torn down and God had laid it on Nehemiah to build those walls back up. It was definitely an almost impossible task but Nehemiah 6:15-16 says, "So on October 2 the wall was finished - just fifty-two days after we had begun. When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God." Now, we so many times want to take credit for doing the impossible. It would make such a difference for us. But I wonder what would happen through us if God got the credit? Psalm 96 tells us what we are to do. Verses 2-3 says, "Sing to the LORD; praise his name. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Tuesday... We just have trouble listening.

1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT), "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." Tuesday... We just have trouble listening. Over in Jeremiah 25:4 (NLT) it says, "Again and again the LORD has sent you his servants, the prophets, but you have not listened or even paid attention." And Jeremiah went on to tell what was going to happen. There will be consequences if we do not listen to what God says through his Word. Now the Apostle Paul over in 1 Corinthians was having a problem with some professed Christ followers who were having trouble at listening. And we too can have problems at listening. We can think that being a Christ follower means we do a lot of finger pointing and we give up on people who don't do what we say. We can even do that in our families. But Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT), "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." In verse ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thursday... Yet, now this is true.

Colossians 1:22a (NLT), "Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body." Thursday... Yet, now this is true. Now Paul a prisoner in Rome is writing a letter to a church in Colossae. And in Colossians 1:21 (MSG) he says, "Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds" The NLT says "This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated by your evil thoughts and actions." And that is where so many in this world live today. They are blowing it and they don't know what to do. Yes, they are hostile in their minds and they are engaging in evil deeds but there is Good News. Now Paul in verses 19-20 sets the stage for an answer to those who don't want to live that way. He says, "For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and earth b...
Post a Comment
Read more