Appointed Disappointments

SEPTEMBER 24, 2024

“For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good: but evil came down from the LORD unto the gate of Jerusalem.” (Micah 1:12)

The village of the bitter spring (for such is the meaning of the name Maroth) experienced a bitter disappointment. The more eager and patient their careful waiting for good, the more distasteful the bitter draught of evil which they were compelled to drink. Their trust in man proved to be vain, for the Assyrians swept over them, and did not stop until they reached the gate of Jerusalem, where God, for sake of Hezekiah’s faith made the enemy pause and retreat.

The people “waited carefully for good, but evil came.” We often come in our wilderness journey to a well that we strained ourselves to reach, hoping to find refreshment for our tried and thirsty souls, only to find a “Marah” instead of “Elim.” Rather than finding sweetness and joy, the draught is bitter. This disappointment is many times due to our seeking for good in the wrong places. The disappointment that the inhabitants of Maroth experienced was the Lord’s doing. The prophet tells us plainly that “evil came down from the Lord.”

The expression, “evil came down from the Lord,” must not be misunderstood. God is not the Author of moral evil. It is the evil of sorrow, affliction, calamity, and such that the Lord allows His people to experience, that is here meant. It is nevertheless universally true that no evil can happen without Divine permission. “I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” (Isa. 45:7) Some evils are distinctly from the Lord. When King Jehoram threatened the life of Elisha whom he blamed for the evil that had come upon Samaria, the prophet said, “Behold, this evil is of the Lord.”

Evils that are from the Lord are sent for a variety of reasons. By such means the Lord will make known the true character of men. He permits evil for the purpose of chastening the good, as in the case of David when he out of pride numbered the people. (I Chron. 21:7) He uses evil to punish the wicked. (Gen. 6:5-7, 19:24, 25)

Disappointments can be extremely painful at the time; yet, could we know all the truth, we should not lament them. The believer’s trust in the Lord ought to be such as to cause gratitude rather than lamentation. However, when expectations are disappointed, thanksgiving is not usually our first response, but comes later, after we are made to see that the Lord gives what is best.

Some kinds of hopes and dreams are certain to disappoint, as for instance, when undue confidence is placed in man; when we look for happiness in sin; and when we look for stability and immutability in earthly things. Then in addition, there are cases in which disappointments are highly probable because of conceited hopes, groundless expectations, and sheer speculation.

Let us, in any case, know that disappointed expectations are bound to happen. “There’s many a slip twixt the cup and the lip.” Let us accept them with godly patience, for they may prove most instructive. From our disappointments we can learn the fallibility of our own judgment; and the uncertainty of earthly things; and to preface all future plans and expectations with “If the Lord wills.” (James 4:14)

God has often sent disappointments and sanctified them to holy ends. In some cases, God has used such to turn the current of life from the pursuit of things earthly and temporal to things heavenly and eternal. To quote William Jay, “Disappointments in time are often means of preventing disappointments in eternity.” Disappointments are useful in weaning us from the world. They tend to make us prize more the faithfulness of God to fulfill the expectations of His people which are founded upon His promises. (Heb. 10:23) None who trust in Christ shall ever be confounded. (I Pet. 2:6) God has a word of assurance for all whose hope is in the Lord: “Thine expectation shall not be cut off.” (Prov. 23:18)