“…for our God is a consuming fire.” (Heb. 12:29)

God appeared in a blazing fire

“The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.” (Exo. 3:2)

God’s Word is like fire

“Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” (Jer. 23:29 ESV)

God will baptize you with fire

“John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Luke 3:16 ESV)

God’s makes His ministers a flaming fire

“He makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire.” (Psalm 104:4 ESV)

Therefore…

“My heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:” (Psalm 39:3 ESV)

“If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.” (Jer. 20:9 ESV)

“And he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze…” (Exo. 35:31-32 ESV)

Skill to do every kind of work

“He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer.” (Exo. 35:35 ESV)

Great skill will move you forward

“Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” (Prov. 22:29 ESV)

Therefore…

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men…”. (Col. 3:23 ESV)

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Heb. 10:24-25 ESV)

Don’t grow wearing of doing good

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Gal. 6:9 ESV)

Be aware and careful…

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matt. 6:1-4 ESV)

Therefore…

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Col. 3 17 ESV)

“For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Phil. 2:13 ESV)

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” (Prov. 3:5-8)

Disappointment defined: to be discouraged or sad because of an unmet expectation regarding someone or something.

When something goes wrong

It’s never pleasant when something goes wrong and your expectation isn’t met. It can be very disappointing, in fact. But, everyone experiences disappointment from time to time. It’s just a part of normal life. But, how you handle disappointment is important! It never helps you, or anyone else around you, to have an emotional meltdown. When a disappointment happens, It’s best to just stop, take a deep breath, relax, and then get God involved in the situation by turning to Him and asking for help. This is exactly what Susan and I had to do yesterday when a disappointment came our way. The day had started out normally. We were packed and ready to go for a few days journey in our motor home. Our plans were set and included attending a funeral for a relative in Oregon and then meeting up with our daughter and her family to enjoy RV’ing along the beautiful Oregon coast. About two hours into the trip, however, it felt like we were having a blowout in a rear tire. When we pulled over, we could see smoke coming from the tire area, but there was no flat. Something else was very wrong! We called our roadside service and they determined the repair couldn’t be done alongside the road and that we needed to be towed back to a repair facility in our home town. Our wonderful planned trip was now ended. And yes, we were disappointed, of course, but Susan and I did not have a single anxious moment about our situation. That’s because we sincerely believe, “our disappointments are often God’s appointments.” In other words, we knew that God has the ability to sustain and bless us no matter what comes our way. We considered this to be a revised adventure that we hadn’t planned on. In fact, we got to ride in the cab with the tow truck driver for the journey back home and we found him to be very receptive to hearing the gospel. The unplanned time with him was what we followers of Christ often refer to as “having a devine encounter!” This was something we hadn’t planned on but was obviously a God inspired moment. If this ”disappointment” hadn’t happened, we wouldn’t have had this wonderful opportunity to share Christ with the driver who wanted to hear about Jesus.” What a wonderful joy it is to see how God can use these situations for His purpose!

Here’s what to do when something disappointing happens

• Give your worries and cares to God

“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Pet. 5:6-8)

• Wait for God to renew your strength

“But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” (Isa. 40:31)

• Expect God to sustain you

“Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed. Uphold me, and I will be delivered; I will always have regard for your decrees.” (Psalm 119:116)

• Wait patiently for Him to act

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.”

• Give Him praise no matter what happens!

“I will praise the Lord no matter what happens. I will constantly speak of his glories and grace. I will boast of all his kindness to me. Let all who are discouraged take heart. Let us praise the Lord together and exalt his name. For I cried to him and he answered me! He freed me from all my fears. Others too were radiant at what he did for them. Theirs was no downcast look of rejection! This poor man cried to the Lord—and the Lord heard him and saved him out of his troubles. For the Angel of the Lord guards and rescues all who reverence him.” (Psalms 34:1-7)

“It  is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.” (Psalms 118:8-9 ESV)

Refuge: shelter or protection from danger, trouble.

His name is a strong tower

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.” (Prov. 18:10 ESV)

He will cover you with His pinions

“He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.” (Psalm 91:4 ESV)

God is your hiding place and your shield

“You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.” (Psalm 119:114 ESV)

He will hide you in His shelter

“For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.” (Psalm 27:5 ESV)

Therefore…

“Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.” (Psalm 62:8 ESV)

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalms 91:1-2 ESV)

“Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come…” (Isa. 35:4 NIV)

Fear is a controllable emotion

In the above passage we are told to say to people with fearful hearts “Be strong, do not fear.” That is because fear is an emotion, and like any emotion, it’s a thing that can be controlled. To control fear you must recognize it when it first appears, then immediately take control of it. If you don’t control fear, it can grow into full blown and debilitating anxiety attacks. Keep in mind that God commands you many times in scripture not to fear. And He would never command you to do something you didn’t have the power within you to do. Understand too, that fear is not from God, but it is a tool the devil uses to mess up your life and stop what God wants to accomplish in your life. Fear is actually the very opposite of faith, it is anti faith! Just like faith, which moves the hand of God, fear moves the hand of the devil! It’s interesting to know that God has told us 365 times in the Bible not to fear, one for each day of the year. And the above passage also reminds us that “God will come.” It’s a wonderful promise to hang onto when fear attacks!

Love has no fear and perfect love (which is God) actually expels fear

“Love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it . . . shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love” (1 John 4:18 NLT).

We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us!

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8;37-39

“The Lord watches over all who love him.” (Psalm 145:20 NIV)

His eyes are on you

“The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry.” (Psalm 34:15)

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” (Psalm 32:8)

“Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope for His lovingkindness,” (Psalm 33:18)8

Therefore…

“Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.” (Psalm 141:3)

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples." (Psalm 105:1, NASB)

Tell of His glory!

“Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.” (1 Chron. 16:24)

He alone works wonders!

“Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who alone works wonders.” (Psalm 72:18)

“For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.” (Psalm 86:10)

He has done wonderful things

“O sing to the LORD a new song, For He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.” (Psalm 98:1)

Therefore…

“O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.” (Isa. 25:1)

“O God, You have taught me from my youth, And I still declare Your wondrous deeds.” (Psalm 71:17)

“Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.” (Psalm 96:3)

“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Rev. 3:15-16 ESV)

The hot/cold scale

On a scale from one to ten, one being cold and ten being hot, where would you place yourself on the scale? Most would say they are somewhere in the middle. That would mean they are neither hot nor cold. They are lukewarm. The above passage gives a severe warning about being in the lukewarm condition. The Bible has many warnings about how this happens.

Friendship with the world is enmity with God

“You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:4 ESV)

Not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” will go to heaven!

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 7:21 ESV)

Most people don’t intend to be lukewarm

Luke warmness happened gradually, a little bit at a time. They gradually became busy with the cares of the world that had entered into their lives and it eventually choked out the God’s Word.

“And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.” (Mark 4:19 KJV)

What to do

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Cor.  6:14-18 ESV)

Therefore…

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22 ESV)