BE HERE NOW: When Friends Let You Down - A message to find strength in the Lord in those times

I cannot imagine what it must be like for kids to have parents that are so busy that they forget to pick them up. I've seen this on movies/television and heard of some small stories like this in life, but never have experienced it. I was fortunate to have parents that didn't forget nor can I imagine "forgetting" where my kids are at or when they need to be picked up. I know there may be the occasional honest mistake but the child may not even realize that it was an honest mistake.

Most of the time in the movies the time is exaggerated to be a long time later that a person is picked up or someone is stood up for an engagement. Counting on someone and then being let down can be devastating.

There are various instances of being let down. Some may be a bit higher on the scale where other situations can be brushed off pretty easily. Sunday we looked at I Samuel 30:1-6 and Hebrews 5:7 while examining situations in the lives of David and Jesus. Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

• Poor Choice ~ Sometimes we are going to make a poor choice. Whether it is something we say or do, it will have a negative repercussion. Instead of wallowing in our poor choice and/or the effects which follow, may we find strength in God, even if it is easier said than done!
• Extend Grace ~ Knowing that we can make a poor choice, there are those who may let us down because of a poor choice. May we make every effort to extend the gift of grace and forgiveness their way. This will help you to keep carrying the burden around with you and let you move more freely.
• Relate to Jesus ~ Jesus' life seemed to be filled with disappointments. I am not taking out any victories, but the disappointments did not just come at one time. People let him down regularly. Whether it was people in his close circle or people who were claiming to be religious but were not. We can appreciate how He dealt with his friends letting him down and how we can deal with such situations. Appreciate and relate to Jesus when you become a victim of "friend let down."

Having people that let you down is a sad part of "real" life. People don't always live up to our own expectations and as much as we hate that, we can learn to find strength in God during those times. David was a great example of finding strength in his God. May we see that as the all-sufficient source of our strength in any disappointments we may encounter.

Now it's your turn...when have you been disappointed by someone and how did it feel?