The Great Disappointment

God makes the life fertile by disappointments, as he makes the ground fertile by frosts. - Henry Ward Beecher 

Have you ever been disappointed? Stood up by someone? Failed an exam? Been owed money that was never returned? Been at the receiving end of a broken promise? Lied to or betrayed? Been bypassed for an opportunity, or even missed an important occasion? Disappointment seems to come as a result of a wide variety of circumstances, but all have one thing in common. We expected better.

Shakespeare put it like this: "Expectation is the root of all heartache". No-one enjoys heartache. If expectation opens us up to the possibility of hurt and disappointment, is it therefore an unrecommended act? Or does it continue to be a contract we are all willing to sign regardless of the outcome, but with the contingent hope that it will be met? Expectation, while offering a desirable sense of anticipation and security, if not based on solid ground or a certain premise of reality, it primes us in becoming open targets for disheartening outcomes.

Unmet expectation can be deflating when faith is misplaced. When it comes to life and living, it seems it must be tempered with room for error in human judgement as nothing gets to be 100% guaranteed in this life. My approach to faith and expectation has had to be forged and reinforced through several life experiences, which always point in the steady direction of "Your will be done, Father". His will over my not-so-completely informed and, sometimes even fickle judgement. 

In fact, the positive outlook would demonstrate that there is a purpose to every negative experience, even if it boils down to reminding us that this life is not the end all and be all of our existence. There is better yet to come. At the end of it all, we must all come to the understanding that there is a design bigger than ourselves that is at work, and submitting to that higher plan will make life more meaningful.

October 22, 1844 - The Great Disappointment

Three days ago marked the 178th anniversary of a day that has actually been recorded as the Great Disappointment in world history. The expectation of a large group of Bible believers in the USA and worldwide had culminated in a monumental disappointment. They found themselves after years of study and sincere conviction and sharing, that the prophecy termed as the 'cleansing of the sanctuary' spoken of in Daniel 8:14 meant that Jesus would return on that exact date. 

They believed with all their heart, made peace with everyone, had renewed their focus on straightening their lives, and even sold and gave away all their possessions in joyful and reverent anticipation of Christ, their beloved Redeemer. As we all know by now, Jesus did not return on that date, and they went through a period of discouragement that tested the very core of many of the believers. 

After much prayer, and renewed study, they realized that the essence of this unfulfilled expectation was due to a misinterpretation of the nature of the event described in the verse, as well as in the excitement, the forgetting of the sobering statement made by Jesus himself that reminds us that "no man knows the day or the hour of Christ's second coming, not even the angels, or the Son, but only the Father" [Matthew 24:36]. One may read the whole chapter for the full context as it is good to read and know for our own selves.

Once they refocused their lens, they were lifted out of their state of disappointment and experienced a state of peaceful joy, with the re-assurance that their blessed hope was indeed still real, however with a more accurate understanding that was corrected and established on the Word of God.

The good news was, and continues to be that despite our prior misunderstanding, Jesus' promise still stands as it pertains to His return. This is one expectation that we can put our trust in. We want to meet Him, to meet the author of our faith, the One who loves us with an everlasting love. His desire is to fulfil that hope that He has placed in our hearts. [John 14:3]. His Word is sure. He is trustworthy. He is my Great Expectation. How about you? Let us put our trust, confidence and hope in Him.

May we all be blessed by our Heavenly Father, may our faith in Him continue to grow, may we always find a reason to go on in the face of the disappointments of our human experience. 

Movie - Tell the World

The anniversary serves as a powerful reminder of faith. Despite the sad nature of disappointment, we develop resilience and build our faith muscles. We continue to rest all our questionings and find all our answers in God and strive forward to be grounded in truth and faith. In commemoration of this anniversary, I recommend you to view the following movie "Tell the World" [see video below]