The Ballestero Blog

When God Doesn’t Meet Your Expectations.

Luke 7:23 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

• What Happens When God Doesn’t Heal?
• What Happens When God Doesn’t Deliver?
• What Happens When God Doesn’t Answer Your Prayers Like You Wanted Him To?

It’s not uncommon to get a notion in our heads about how we think God should supply specific things that we need, or want. Some have gotten mad at the Lord, and even backslid because a loved one died or was not healed.

Since His ways are not our ways, there will always be times when God doesn’t move or work like we think he should. That can be a major test for our faith.

Sometimes, life doesn’t turn out like we expected. Why? I can’t tell you, because I don’t know for sure either. But this one thing I do know. God is still in control. He has never made a mistake. I must always trust Him.

Naaman – Almost Lost His Miracle When Things Didn’t Meet His Expectations.

2Ki 5:10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

2Ki 5:11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

Naaman was a man of high position and ranking in Syria. As Captain of the army, he was always given much respect.

Bottom line, I’m sure, was his disappointment that the Prophet did not personally come out to see him. He had imagined the moment of his healing, and it looked nothing like what had just happened to him. He left the prophet’s home in a huff.

His own servant showed more good sense than he did. Only after being reasoned with, did he finally submit. For Naaman, submission and obedience were the keys to his miracle.

Peter – Denied The Lord When Things Didn’t Meet His Expectations.

When accused by the maid of being a disciple of Christ, Peter replied, “I know not the man!” In a twisted way, Peter was telling the truth.

• The Jesus he knew was a Jesus of miracles.
• The Jesus he knew walked on water.
• The Jesus he knew raised the dead.
• The Jesus he knew turned water in to wine.
• The Jesus he knew fed 5,000 with a few fishes and five loaves of bread.
• The Jesus he knew healed the lepers and opened blinded eyes.

Peter Didn’t Know This Jesus.

• He didn’t know a Jesus of defeat.
• He didn’t know a Jesus of rejection.
• He didn’t know a Jesus of disappointment.

What about the three and a half years he had followed Jesus around? Were those years spent for nothing? Evidently, Peter’s faith had momentarily wavered.

John The Baptist Questioned The Lord When Things Didn’t Meet His Expectations.

Of men born of women, there was none greater than John the Baptist. He was even born with the Holy Ghost. He was a fearless preacher and a chosen forerunner for the Messiah.

• Yet, John finds himself in prison.
• His hopes are dashed.
• His future looks bleak.
• His first cousin, Jesus, is nowhere around.
• He becomes tormented by his worst fears.
• His imagination runs wild.
• He even questioned if Jesus was truly the Messiah.

Luke 7:19 And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?

The Three Hebrew Children – Said, “But If Not…” In Case Things Didn’t Meet Their Expectations.

Dan 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

Dan 3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

Dan 3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

They proudly stood in front of the pagan king and bragged on their God. They said that their God was able to deliver them. But if He didn’t, they still weren’t going to bow down to an idol.

If the Lord God didn’t deliver them, they were still going to be faithful to Him.

Job – Watched His Mouth When Things Didn’t Meet His Expectations.

Job 1:22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

None of us can imagine the horrible loss Job experienced.

• His family was destroyed.
• His children were dead.
• His vast herds stolen.
• His health was virtually destroyed.
• His wife turned in to an unbelieving nag.
• His friends did nothing but criticize and point fingers at him.

We Love To Quote Job’s Reaction To His Dilemma.

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

The second part of the verse stands out to me today. Job certified, that though things had not turned out like he wanted, he was going to maintain his ways. He was going to keep on doing what he had always done.

What Do You Do When Things Don’t Turn Out Like You Wanted? Do You Maintain Your Ways? If You Want Your Story To Turn Out Good, Then:

• Keep on coming to church.
• Keep on worshipping.
• Keep on praying.
• Keep on singing
• Keep on loving
• Keep involved in church.
• Keep on shouting.
• Keep on paying your tithes.
• Keeping on testifying about how good God is.

Israel – Believed The Ten Spies When Things Didn’t Meet Their Expectations.

Did Israel want to go over into the Promised Land? Most certainly! The problem was, the majority of the spies saw the enemy and became frightened and faint hearted.

This didn’t look like an easy victory to them. No one paid much attention to Joshua and Caleb’s glowing report. They ignored the huge display of grapes.

Because they responded in unbelief, God allowed all but the young to die in the wilderness. They needlessly spent 40 years of wandering because of how they reacted.

Things hadn’t turned out like they expected, so they said ‘no’ to God. God in return, said ‘no’ to their inheriting the promise and gave it to their children instead.

• Never stop believing.
• Never say ‘no’ to God.

Paul – Lived With A Thorn In His Flesh When Things Didn’t Meet His Expectations.

• Paul prayed more than once for God to take his pain away. God didn’t.
• Paul had just spoken the word, and a man had gone blind for a season.
• A poisonous viper and taken hold of his hand once while he was carrying wood for a fire. He just shook it off, and though bitten, was not harmed.

Yet this thorn he spoke of, wouldn’t go away. God had answered his other prayers, why didn’t He answer this one?

Paul never knew, but he chose instead, to be content to live with his unanswered prayer request.

So, What Is My Life Lesson Here?

What Should I Do When Things Don’t Meet My Expectation?

1. Like Naaman – I choose to humbly submit my self and obey the Word of the Lord given to me.
2. Like The Three Hebrew Children – I will always believe God is able. But if He doesn’t deliver me… I’m still going to be faithful.
3. Like Job – I want to keep my spirit right, and watch my mouth during my trial.
4. Like Paul – If God doesn’t take away the pain in my life; I will learn to be content, and trust His will.

Remember God’s Words In The Old Testament When Things Don’t Meet Your Expectations.

KJV: Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

KJV: Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

The Message Bible: I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work. For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think.

Remember God’s Words In The New Testament When Things Don’t Meet Your Expectations.

KJV: Luke 7:23 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

NIV: Luke 7:23 Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.

ESV: Luke 7:23 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

What Do You Do When God Doesn’t Meet Your Expectations?