Disappointment

How do you handle hurt and disappointment? How do you respond when life comes up short of your expectations? Joseph must have been disappointed when Mary turns up pregnant and he was not the father (Luke 1:18). In the face of this disappointment, Joseph hatches a plan to divorce Mary “quietly.” One translation of verse 19 reads, he “planned to send her away secretly.” I recognize this strategy. When disappointment comes my way, I just wanna move on. Don’t make a fuss. Stuff it “quietly.” Fix the problem and move on. “Send it away secretly.” Instead, God comes near and invites Joseph to move toward what he wants to push away. Joseph says yes, and Salvation is born.

Coddling disappointment is never a path toward growth. But neither is ignoring, fixing, or numbing. As I move toward pain and invite God into my hurts, new birth and blessing are possible.

Pastor Steve

Yours for Jesus, 

steve@clpc.org

Every Heart Prepare Him Room

“Joy to the World” begins with transformation of the human heart. In verse one of his famous hymn, Isaac Watts implores “every heart” to make room for the coming Savior. Our wants, longings, and desires are found in the most intimate space of the human heart. When we make room for Jesus there, God becomes Immanuel (Matthew 1:23). 

Do you know what you want today? Not what you’d like to want, or what you think you should want. What do you really want? Give that ‘want’ to Jesus. Invite Immanuel God into the sacred space of your longing and let him love you there.

If you missed yesterday’s messages, listen to it here or watch the entire service on our YouTube channel.

In the Savior’s Joy,

 
Pastor Steve

steve@clpc.org