“Listen to advice and accept instruction, so that you may gain wisdom in the end” (Proverbs, ch. 19, v. 20*).
It is easy to focus so much on something or someone that we become unable to hear God. In such moments, one of God's most effective methods of getting our attention is through disappointment. How unpleasant this approach is to us!
Disappointment is one of the ways the Lord spoke to the people of Israel. In Numbers ch. 13, He guides His people to the Promised Land. However, fear of its inhabitants so takes over their hearts that they refuse to enter. As a result, the Lord tells the disobedient Israelites that “they will not see the land I swore to give their ancestors” (Numbers, ch. 14, v. 23*). The rest must wait for 40 years.
This delay is so discouraging that the people decide to change their mindset, but unfortunately, it is too late, and they grieve deeply. Do you think, at this moment, the Lord is getting their attention? Certainly. Will they listen more carefully the next time He commands Israel?
It is hard for us to believe that our loving God could be responsible for our disappointments. Yet, the Lord deliberately uses them to align our thoughts and plans with His. Consider the difficulties you face in your life and whether the Lord is trying to tell you something through them.
Link to the original article: https://www.intouchuk.org/read/daily-devotions/speaking-through-disappointments
* The biblical quotes are from the Bible, new translation from the original languages © Bulgarian Bible Society 2013