Welcome to the Encouragement for Today Devotion Readers. I'm glad you came over to my place today.
I got a call this week I've waited for over 15 years to get. And while I'm thrilled with possibility on one hand, I'm painfully aware of the great potential for disappointment on the other hand.
Why is it so stinkin' difficult when we build something up in our mind and then it all falls apart?
Because a small part of us thinks whatever we are hoping for will finally be the thing that fulfills us. And when we are denied the very thing we want so desperately, that raw place of desire aches in the most distracting way. Disappointment. Sadness. Grief.
Yes, as Christians only God is supposed to fill us. He can. He will. He does. But we often don't recognize his fulfillment as perfectly satisfying.
His fulfillment sometimes says no to our desires. And when God says no, it hurts. There's just no other way to wrap it.
But what if God's 'no,' is really a gift? His way to protect us from what we can not see, provide something better than we can imagine, or be part of the process of growing us closer to Him.
Sounds good. But I want it to feel good. So, how do we get from the raw hurt of disappointment to rejoicing in God's protection, provision and process?
We make the choice to delight ourselves in the Lord.
Delight as a verb means: to give great pleasure, satisfaction, or enjoyment to; to please highly. To delight in the Lord means to give him our pleasure- our satisfaction- our enjoyment- and to please him highly.
We offer these to him and ask him to redirect us- redirect our feelings.
"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart," Psalm 37:4.
This doesn't mean he'll give us whatever we desire. In a sense that would be cruel and dangerous.
This verse means the more we offer Him our pleasure, satisfaction, and delight as a surrendered gift, the more the desires we have will change to match His.
It's really a matter of trust.
And a matter of rightly placing our delight into the hands of the only One ever meant to hold the weight of something that precious.
Phone call? What phone call? I'm too busy steering my delight in the right direction. Take a message and I'll get back to them.
I got a call this week I've waited for over 15 years to get. And while I'm thrilled with possibility on one hand, I'm painfully aware of the great potential for disappointment on the other hand.
Why is it so stinkin' difficult when we build something up in our mind and then it all falls apart?
Because a small part of us thinks whatever we are hoping for will finally be the thing that fulfills us. And when we are denied the very thing we want so desperately, that raw place of desire aches in the most distracting way. Disappointment. Sadness. Grief.
Yes, as Christians only God is supposed to fill us. He can. He will. He does. But we often don't recognize his fulfillment as perfectly satisfying.
His fulfillment sometimes says no to our desires. And when God says no, it hurts. There's just no other way to wrap it.
But what if God's 'no,' is really a gift? His way to protect us from what we can not see, provide something better than we can imagine, or be part of the process of growing us closer to Him.
Sounds good. But I want it to feel good. So, how do we get from the raw hurt of disappointment to rejoicing in God's protection, provision and process?
We make the choice to delight ourselves in the Lord.
Delight as a verb means: to give great pleasure, satisfaction, or enjoyment to; to please highly. To delight in the Lord means to give him our pleasure- our satisfaction- our enjoyment- and to please him highly.
We offer these to him and ask him to redirect us- redirect our feelings.
"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart," Psalm 37:4.
This doesn't mean he'll give us whatever we desire. In a sense that would be cruel and dangerous.
This verse means the more we offer Him our pleasure, satisfaction, and delight as a surrendered gift, the more the desires we have will change to match His.
It's really a matter of trust.
And a matter of rightly placing our delight into the hands of the only One ever meant to hold the weight of something that precious.
Phone call? What phone call? I'm too busy steering my delight in the right direction. Take a message and I'll get back to them.
28 Comments:
Lysa, THANK YOU for this post! It was just what I needed to hear today....and it explained something that I've been wondering about. THANK YOU!
Thank you Lysa for sharing your heart in ways that touch and teach.
God is always faithful and he knows what's best for us. He will have you looking back on this day in the future and you will be praising Him for it!
Paula <><
One of the things that struck me the most in your post is the 15 years. YEARS. Not 15 minutes. Not 15 days. You have been waiting years.
I struggle soooooo much with the waiting. And really, all that you have said applies to that. If I would delight myself in Him, the wait wouldn't be so excruciating. It probably wouldn't even matter...because I would always be waiting on HIM and not some person, thing, or event.
Good stuff to chew on.
Thanks!
K :)
Oh how I needed to hear this today! God is sooo good!!....Your daily devotional is a must for me, but this is the first time I have read your blog...and what a blessing! Have been agonizing over a failing romance that I hoped was God's will for my life...Good Christian man, etc etc...This gives me a whole new perspective on it. May God richly bless you for sharing your heart so openly the way you do...You sow into others lives with your ministry in ways you cannot imagine....!!! Blessings...KK
Thank you Lysa. Such a timely devotion this morning. I read it on Croaswalk and followed the link here. I appreciate your transparency in sharing the Word of God which brought peace to my stirred up spirit.
Blessings in Christ-
Shonda
Lysa, goes right along with something I've been working on in my life.. "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it".. THIS is the day. TOday. NOT tomorrow, not next year. THIS day. Complete with its disappointments and heartache.
And i"m learning to delight in Him and rejoice in it! (But it's taking a LONG time!)
thanks!
Hey Lysa...Delight it it's original text also means "to be soft a pliable". This has been one of my favorite scripture studies for years. If I am soft and pliable in him...he will give me the desires of my heart. WOW!!! That takes on a new meaning!!!
Thanks for all your great posts!! I laugh...I cry...I'm encouraged!! I love it that you're real! Thanks for opening yourself up to a bunch of ladies you do not even know! What a blessing! Have a wonderful day!
Buffi
I find it to be a fine line between
"believing God for Big Things"
and
"being content in all things"
It's so hard when God has filled your heart with dreams and visions of what He is able to do through you. And then not to feel a twinge of disappointment (or devastation) when it takes so long to manifest.
I'll ponder your thoughts today, freind.
Love,
Sandy
Thanks, I think. We've been waiting 45 months to bring our son home and we're still waiting. 45 months of "no" from God has been excrutiatingly hard.
Amy
Oh my. Thank you for posting this. What a confirmation of what I just finished posting on my own blog. That no matter what, I just have to keep filling myself with Him and trust in Him. I may not understand His ways but I am not content when I am out of His embrace so I just need to stay there. I had determined myself today to rejoice in Him and there you go posting about it.
I just love you.
Jenn
Oh this is so good. I have seen this in my life so many times, and yet it's still hard when I'm in the middle of a situation.
BTW, Love your update below! Glad you got it taken care of. Now you can wash that DMV right out of your hair for 8 years!
When I was in elementary school I was best friends with a cute little boy.
In middle school the cute little boy gave me my first kiss.
In high school and college I wondered why God was telling me no. I thought this cute little boy was the one for me.
A year ago the cute little boy who was now a man, police officer, firefighter, husband and father - shot his wife three times as she ran down the hall to their daughter's room. He called his mother and told her to come over and then shot and killed himself.
I don't question God anymore.
I like the post from the gal who stated... "Fifteen years!" I caught that as well. Isn't it amazing that life is not zero through eighty but zero through eternity! Plenty, plenty of time for our desires and dreams to be realized!
I am indeed a "lady in waiting." No, I'm not preganant:) God has given me this wonderful dream of being a missionary. I want to go NOW! But my Father has other plans for me first. He is refining me, preparing me. I am currently a practicing missionary in my hometown at a mission that gives food & clothing to the needy. I know God has better plans for me if I serve Him to the best of my ability while I'm waiting.
Dear Lysa,
Your devotionals always speak to my heart. Thank you for sharing yourself and your God with us all. I have waited for 14 years on God's will for my family- my thorn-in-the-flesh is polycystic ovary syndrome and infertility. But I can praise God with you today for the hundreds of times that He says, "No," or "Not right now." He knows the plans He has for us and they are for good and not for evil, to give us a hope and a future. He has plans for all of His princesses that far exceed the hopes we have of anticipated speaking opportunities or of babies or whatever we think might make us happy.
Along the way, He has healed me from the heartbreak of infertility and given me so many opportunities to help other women with PCOS to get help and live. Not to mention how He has taught me to depend entirely on Him for all of my happiness.
Can't wait to hear what else He has in store for you!
God bless you,
Jenn Doering
Lysa,
AMEN!!!!!! Just what I needed to hear again!!! Thank you for allowing God to speak through you. He has been telling me this for the past few days...repeatedly!!! Guess I really need to listen to His sweet sweet voice.
Thank you again!
Jennifer
Lysa,
Thank you for the P31 devo today. I came to your blog to read more. I have a hard time dealing with disappointment and my responses to it usually come out as anger, resentment, etc. I appreciated hearing that sometimes His "no" is a gift. And the 3 P words you chose: Protect, Provide, and be part of the Process. I wonder if He uses the last one more often than not for me.... Sanctification is not a comfortable process, but it's a necessary one! Thank you for sharing your inspired words with us! God bless you!
such encouraging words...Thanks Lysa...
Lysa, God's 'no's' are often a gift, even though they are ones we don't desire to unwrap. I wrote about such a blessing not that long ago. A very personal story and surrender. "The Blessing of God's No" http://ponderinginhispresence.blogspot.com/2009/04/blessing-of-gods-no.html
So thankful for what He spared me from...sometimes we just don't know.
Hugs,
Joy
Powerful. I have been strengthened and reassured by your post. Thanks for sharing your heart. It is timely for me at this point in my life. I have been let down by a facility I laboured at. I struggled to deal with how they had treated me, but God began ministering to me about His sovreign will and purpose for us as His children. Your post continued to affirm this and I am truly blessed!
Lysa, I am so grateful for your wisdom and the way you sprinkle that into the lives of others. I just found your site (from the Christianity.com Daily Devotions) last week, and you all have touched me greatly. I look forward to reading my "Encouragement for Today" and my "Everyday Living" every day now. I just wanted you to know how much of a blessing you are, and that I appreciate and thank God for you.
Keisha.
It's almost tomorrow... can't you tell I've had one of those days? Yeah... But even this late I can identify with the "phone call". I dream as well. But I will also delight much and be contented but not complacent with where I am for the moment.
You're a blessing to so many. 22 heople have responded (including me) and you'll never know until eternity how much you have impacted my life nad those who responded.
When I grow up... oops, there's that dream again.
Come back to NY for a visit...
Hugs from the Northeast,
Jackie
Lysa,
Thank you, friend, for your wonderful words.
Much love from me to you!
Tammy Nischan
AMEN! Thanks Lysa!
Lysa,
You may be interested in a gospel song "God Blocked It" by Kurt Carr. It talks about how God steps in and protects us when the enemy is moving against us to harm us in his various ways. I was just thinking about it when I read your post today. The song is on YouTube and here are the lyrics: http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/God-Blocked-It-lyrics-Kurt-Carr/5B82A6E012FC248548257078000E9E85
Blessings,
Sanya
Hi There Friend,
I sent you an e-mail, but just to make sure that you get the message, I thought I'd leave a note here as well...the answer to your question is "yes". Absolutely yes. Let me know if you need me for anything.
melissa.milbourn@gmail.com
Much love to you...
I like what Wendy said about 'waiting' being a time for being "refined". My realization that the trials I face are time for God to evaluate how His work in me is coming along, makes me realize I need to be patient. Thank you, Lysa, for the relevant timing of your blog, sharing that what we want to happen, even if we believe it to be what God wants for us, takes time and patience and trust. I am a work in progress, and I am thankful that God is working in me.
Thanks for the devotional today. I read it right after I got a reject letter from Today's Christian Woman magazine for an article that they were excited about 2 weeks ago. Bummer. God's timing really is everything. You see, this is Monday and your devotional arrived in my in-box on Thursday, but I didn't have time to read it until today - right after I read that other email.
That 15 years you mentioned stood out to me, too. What a depressingly long time to wait for the fulfillment of a dream! Thanks for the reminder that God's ways and God's timing are always best.
~Bethany
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