Every disappointment is for an appointment with God.
If you are disappointed, lonely and distressed; be attentive and stay awake, for there will be an appointment at any time – God will hear your cry. Your disappointment is for an appointment with God.
Have you ever come across disappointment that did not give way to an appointment with God while you walked in justice? No, you cannot. Here are few examples from the Scripture, whose disappointments turned to appointments with God, as a result grace and mercy flowed into their lives.
Our Father Abraham had lost all his hope for having a child at the age of hundred and Sarah in her nineties. The Lord appeared to him by the Oaks of Mamre (Gen: 18:1) in a disguised form of three strangers but Abraham realized them at once as the angels of God. ‘It is important to recognize the voice of God, His image and His time of appointment in the midst of our pains, sufferings and troubles of life.’
Abraham was very attentive to God’s voice as he walked in justice and righteousness for a century. As a result his pain for not having an offspring ended in an appointment with God. Though Sarah was incapable of bearing a child, Abraham grabbed the grace of having one at the time of appointment. They appeared to be three ordinary men but Abraham realized God in them which changed his mourning into dancing and his disappointment to a favorable appointment.
Going further we see, Zachariah and his wife Elizabeth, both righteous before God and advanced in years yet, they hadn’t the blessing of having an offspring. It was very inspiring to know that they were still praying for a son and waiting for an appointment with God. It is clear when the angel appeared to Zachariah saying, “Don’t be afraid, God has heard your prayers and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a sonâ€. (Luke: 1:13) The example of Zachariah would inspire many childless couple to knock at the Heaven’s door with faith and trust.
It is interesting to note how God arranged for an appointment with Zechariah in the temple while the multitude of people were praying outside, at the hour of incense. Did this appointment take place by chance? No, not at all. It was pre-planned centuries ago. Will He not have such plans and appointments in our case too? Surely, so stay awake! We need to recognize His voice and His image in the midst of our disappointments.
At the time of Jesus there was a chief tax collector named Zacchaeus, who was rich with regard to money but with poor self image (Lk.19:2). Being a tax collector his poor image in the public and his small stature disturbed him and pained him at times. This pain and loneliness led him to seek for an appointment with God. Here Zacchaeus took the initiative and the trouble to climb the sycamore accepting his poor stature. His limitations brought him and his family closer to Jesus. Zacchaeus regained his lost image, confidence and peace of mind at the appointment with God. What about us, do we make our every appointment with God, a source of blessing, peace and joy?
When we are lonely, distressed, troubled and disappointed, it is natural to cry out to the Lord for help. Our God is a living God who is ever attentive to the cry of His children. Often God takes the initiative for an appointment as in the case of Abraham, Zechariah and many of us.
At times God rewards persons who take the first step for an appointment, just as we see in the life of Zacchaeus. In any case if you are disappointed and seeking justice you are sure to have an appointment with God, which would lead you to peace, joy, contentment, healing, success and blessings.
– – – written by Sr. Mercy Pottokaran OSB
Am so blessed more especially after reading through the above subject that teaches us that for every disappointment,there is an appointment with the Lord.That the Lord has shown that in the case of Abraham and Sarah while Abraham was 100 n Sarah in her 90’s but God promise them that by the same time the following year,he will visit them again but by that time they will have been blessed by a son.The message has elevated my faith to the dizzy hights.