Biblical Reflections · Christian Life

Disappointed?

4 min read, approximately

“Moses ordered the Israelites to move away from the Sea of Reeds, and they obeyed. They went into the wilderness of Shur and walked for three days without finding a drop of water. When they finally found water, it was so bitter they could not drink it. That is why the Israelites called that place Marah, which means ‘bitter’” (Exodus 15:22-23)

The people of Israel had just come out of Egypt victorious. The Lord had opened the Red Sea, and they had crossed on dry ground (Exodus 14)… They were so eager to reach that long-awaited good and spacious land flowing with milk and honey! They had set out because of a promise Moses had told them about!

“And the LORD said: I have indeed seen the affliction of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their distress. I have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.” (Exodus 3:7-8)

Yet what they find is a vast desert, and when they finally find water, it is bitter!

“Then the people grumbled against Moses and said: What are we to drink?” (Exodus 15:24)

You know, we are not the only ones this has happened to

What did Joseph expect from his brothers? Surely not to be thrown into a cistern and sold as a slave. (Genesis 37:23-28)

What did David expect after killing Goliath? Surely not for King Saul to pursue him to kill him. (1 Samuel 18:9-10)

We have all gone through times when the exact opposite happens, when reality does not live up to the hopes or expectations we had. We expected victory, but instead tasted the bitterness of failure.

Some are left with wounded and broken hearts, while others, feeling helpless, give way to grumbling, rage, anger, depression, sadness, or simply give up on going forward and become filled with apathy, just as happened to the people of Israel in this episode.

But what should we do, then?

When all these burdens arise, the Lord expects us to cry out to him! He longs to show us his power and guidance, and waits for us to let him act:

“Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.” (Exodus 15:25a)

The Lord wants to show us that nothing is impossible for him, so he reaches out his hand to us and says,

“Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will not leave the righteous fallen forever.” (Psalms 55:22)

The Lord truly knows how we are, and that is why

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalms 147:3)

And how does the Lord heal us?

The Lord sees that we have let apathy and disappointment in, so he brings about a change in us and restores our hope

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, keep my precepts, and put them into practice. You will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.” (Ezekiel 36:26-28)

And the Lord shows us again that we have a purpose, so he heals us, raises us up, and gives us renewed strength to press on toward the goal:

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have already attained it. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching toward what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal, for the prize of God’s high calling in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)

To conclude

If we are disappointed, today is a good day to throw ourselves into our Father’s arms so that he takes control and shapes our hearts, and so that, like Israel, we may reach the outcome we long for, because the Lord knows what we need:

“They came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there beside the waters.” (Exodus 15:27).

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May God continue to bless you, and may you keep having an excellent day in Christ Jesus!