WEDNESDAY, 23 December, 2020 “Hope in Disappointment”

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Good morning to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends all around the world on this Wednesday of Christmas week.

May I ask a question… how much disappointment have you dealt with this year of 2020? Have you ever considered how many people were ‘disappointed’ in the original Christmas event and what God did in the lives of disappointed people? This past Sunday my Pastor said this phrase which I’d not heard before: Disappointment is the gap between expectations and reality. Now ponder that a moment.

I imagine old Zechariah the priest dealt with a huge amount of self-disappointment for 9 months as he was mute because he had doubted Gabriel’s miraculous announcement. But have you noticed what the very first thing was that Zechariah did when his tongue was loosed? Luke 1:64 says “…he began to speak praising God. Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and said: ‘Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, because He has come to His people…” (Luke 1:64, 67) Clearly in those 9 months Zechariah had come to peace with his doubts and his muteness, and his heart had filled to overflowing with thanksgiving and adoration for God and His goodness to His people, so when finally Zechariah could speak we have 12 verses of a powerful and prophetic message that he gave. I imagine he did so with tears of joy running down his old, wrinkled face, as he held baby John in his arms!

We know Elizabeth had lived in disappointment for years that she’d grown old without having the blessing of God in bearing children. Yet, Dr. Luke writes that she and her husband Zechariah “…were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the LORD’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive.” (Luke 1:6,7) But listen to these words that Elizabeth spoke after Zechariah explained his encounter with Gabriel and Elizabeth became pregnant: “The LORD has done this for me. In these days God has shown His favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.” (Luke 1:25)

And then there is Mary, of course. While overwhelmed by her angelic visit and Gabriel’s shocking announcement, still I imagine her expectation that she’d come into her marriage a God honoring virgin and have children in the normal way with the applause of her family and friends, was shattered when she agreed to God’s miraculous plan that she would become pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Mary went to spend time with Elizabeth and Zechariah, the only two people whom she felt might be able to help her turn her disappointment into great joy. Her song of praise, which she sang at their home and we find in Luke 1:46-55, is evidence of the great heart work the Holy Spirit accomplished in Mary. Her song begins with these words: “My soul magnifies the LORD and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…”

But then there’s Joseph, Mary’s fiancé. He is evidently the last of the four to learn of God’s shocking plan. We find Joseph’s story in Matthew’s account chapter 1 & 2. We know virtually nothing about Joseph’s family except his father’s name was Jacob (Matt. 1:16) and he is in the royal line of David which is why he had to take Mary to Bethlehem to register for the new Roman tax. I presume it was after Mary returned from her three months with Elizabeth and Zechariah that she finally had the courage to visit with Joseph and tell him the incredible news that she was pregnant by a work of God, and her son was to be named Jesus and He would be the Son of God. I doubt any of us can imagine the magnitude of Joseph’s disappointment. I invite every man reading this today to put yourself in Joseph’s sandals. What would you have thought and felt, and what plans would you have considered?

Do you see what Matthew writes? “Because Joseph her husband (fiancé) was a righteous man and did not want to expose Mary to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” (Matt. 1:19) In those days in the Jewish culture, a marriage ‘betrothal’ or engagement was as certain as marriage. The only two things which could break it were death or adultery. And if adultery had occurred, the offending party was brought before the leaders, the accusation made and if proved, the offender could be stoned to death, publicly! A second, less vicious option would be a public court hearing and if adultery was found to be true, the engagement was annulled and a certificate of divorce issued, which the offender carried in shame for the rest of their life. It’s gut wrenching for us to consider the agony Joseph must have wrestled with in his disappointment.

But God. . . once again those two wonderful words! But God did not leave Joseph in confused agony, for he too was visited by an angel who explained the unique, miraculous plan of God which Joseph and Mary were being invited into. In courageous faith Mary had said to Gabriel: “I am the LORD’s servant, may it be unto me as you have said.” (Luke 1:38) Do you see Joseph’s response to his angelic visit? “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the LORD had commanded him and he took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave Him the name Jesus.” (Matt. 1:24,25)

Now let me repeat that amazing phrase with which I began today: Disappointment is the gap between expectations and reality. So what, may I ask, do you see in Joseph and each of these four adults, which bridged the gap of disappointment, so they could not only accept the shocking news, but step forward in great faith, to participate in God’s plan even though it changed their lives and their reputation forever?

Do you see the angel had told Joseph: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:20,21)

My friends, I think the SECRET to bridging the gap of disappointment and actually moving FROM sadness, grief, frustration, confusion and so many other very real emotions that disappointment causes, TO contentment, joy, enthusiasm and PARTICIPATION with God in His purposes as we take great faith steps is this: an authentic encounter with Almighty God!

Throughout the Bible I see this pattern… people are disappointed, frustrated, even sometimes angry because situations in life don’t meet their expectations. Sometimes it even happens when they sense God asking them to do something outside their comfort zone, or something that might interrupt their plans or they believe it will be difficult or painful. But I have personally experienced, and I see all through history, that when a person has an authentic, powerful encounter with God and His truth, their attitude changes, their perspective changes, and they step forward with God, courageously following His lead and participating with God in God’s purposes and plans.

And one last thing… I’ve never yet met a person who looks back with regret that they followed God obediently when they stepped out in faith in response to their God encounter and God’s clear invitation. I’m sure if we could have an interview with Joseph, Mary, Zechariah and Elizabeth they would each confirm this powerful truth. And after 35 years of intentionally following Jesus, my wife Dawn and I enthusiastically agree.

So…how about you, my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends? 2020 has probably been greatly disappointing to you in many ways. But are we ready this Christmas week and the final days of 2020 to have encounters with God which will bridge the gap and propel us to a content, joyful conclusion of 2020 and an excited anticipation of ‘walking with Jesus’ in 2021, expecting next year you and I will participate with God as He does some amazing things in our world?

Yes, I have a song for us to reflect with, as we close today: HOPE HAS A NAME and of course that name is JESUS! Hope is found in disappointment when your heart and mind is drawn to Jesus. . . do you agree?

Click to read today’s chapter: Luke 1; Matthew 1:16-25;(At the top you can choose a different translation.)

Click here to listen to a dramatized reading of Luke 1; Matthew 1.

Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.

Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.

Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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