“Disappointed”
II Kings 5:9, 10

Introduction

• I believe that everyone here at one time or another has been disappointed recently.
• Disappointment brings on other problems and sins into our lives.
• Everyone copes with disappointment in different ways.
• God teaches us how to deal with it…

I. Dealing With Our Emotions

A) Emotions caused by disappointment

• Anger, un-forgiveness, frustration, hopelessness, and long-lasting sorrow.
• God sent us the Holy Spirit to deal with these emotions.
• Jesus said in John 14:14… If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

B) Biblical Examples

• One way of dealing with our emotions and disappointments is by calling on God and being obedient to God.
• Let us look at Naaman who was a commander in the army of the king of Syria.
• Naaman was a leper who has wanted to get rid of this disease.
• So the king of Syria said that he would send a letter to the king of Israel to have him heal hi of his leprosy.
• Naaman is excited to find a cure for his leprosy.  
• The DOCTOR’S ORDERS – II Kings 5: 9… So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. 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.
• The PATIENT’S RESPONSE –11) But Naaman was wroth (full of anger), 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. 12) Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
• Why was Naaman so angry? He was disappointed! He thought that since he had a letter from the king of Syria, he was going to get special treatment.
• He thought that the king of Israel would come out personally and call on God to heal him.
• But instead, he gets a message from a servant to the king as to his prescription of how to be healed.

• That would be like us going to a doctor to get healed and he sends a message to the receptionists to give it to us. 
• Our first response in dealing with disappointment is usually anger to the person or anger over the circumstance that caused our disappointment.
• Naaman receives counsel from his servants in verse 13) And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father (a term of endearment), if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
• May I say…it is very important to surround yourself with friends and people who give good advice or counsel.  
• FOLLOWING THE DOCTOR’S ORDERS – 14) Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
• Naaman dealt with his disappointment with anger at first, then he became obedient.

C) Other examples of disappointment

• JESUS AND PETER – Jesus restored Peter in John 21:15…So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16) He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17) He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
• When Jesus was asking Peter “…lovest thou me” Jesus was talking about being completely committed to the cause of Christ in love.
• Christ was disappointed because Peter wasn’t quite getting it.
• But Peter thought Jesus was talking about a brotherly type love and Peter was disappointed (grieved) because Christ was asking for the 3^rd time the same question as if Peter was not responding correctly or not telling Christ what He wanted to hear.
• JOB – Job praised God in Job 1:20…Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21) And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

• I believe Job was disappointed that his life all of a sudden turned for the worse and he did nothing to deserve it.
• Job took the loss of his livestock, servants, and property pretty calmly, but then when he lost his children…he was near to losing his faith but didn’t because he responded with “…the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.  

II. Don’t Blame Others

A) Never blame God

• It is our sin nature to blame someone else for pour failures, disappointments, trials, troubles and etc.
• Never blame God for your disappointments.
• Job 1:22… In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
  

B) Blaming others

• It works sometimes – Acts 6:1-5…The Hellenists (native Jewish population of Palistine) were blaming the church for not giving their widows an adequate supply of food which was to keep them healthy.
• They brought their blame to the apostles (the right people) and they told them what to do…appoint 7 men over this matter to see that it gets the right response to the needs of the widows.
• Most of the times it makes matters worse – Genesis 3:9…And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10) And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11) And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 12) And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
• Adam blamed God for giving Eve to tempt him and then he also blamed Eve for causing him to sin! Adam did not confess his sin! He blamed Eve.
• Eve then blamed the serpent (Satan) Genesis 3:13…And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
• Eve also did not confess her sin but blamed it on the serpent.
• Adam and Eve blamed someone else and the result of blame shifting caused them life forever. Now their bodies would suffer on earth in that man must work till he dies and the woman will be in pain during child birth.
• No more living the “Life of Riley.” It would be a struggle and battle within their soul against Satan.

III. Be Realistic

A) Expecting too much

• Have you heard the saying “Great expectations lead to great disappointments.”
• We have tendencies to expect too much from others.
• People who should not expect much are…Proverbs 11:7…When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth.
• Evil people believe that if they die their pains and troubles in this life will be over. That is what they expect.
• In reality what the lost people experience here on earth is the best they will ever receive.

B) Don’t think too highly of yourself

• Romans 12:3…For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly (sound judgment), according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
• Don’t expect your spouse to respond to you in certain ways. They will disappoint you.
• Don’t expect God to respond in a certain way, you will be disappointed.
• Leave your disappointments at the cross and let Jesus take care of them.
• Forgiving others who disappoint you will bring a healing process that helps you to cope with those disappointments.
• Enjoy your spouse’s differences and quit trying to change them.
• Disappointment is the painful experience of being let down when your expectations don’t play out the way you hoped. It’s when reality doesn’t match your picture of what could have been. Disappointment can produce feelings ranging from mild annoyance to profound heartbreak and confusion—maybe even despair.
• Psalm 118:24… This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.