By: Tyler Cloud
I love the month of November. The feeling of fall starts in mid to late October, but you can really feel and see the beauty of fall in November. The leaves have changed color, the weather is a little cooler, and the sun goes down earlier, leaving more time for sweatshirts, bonfires, marshmallows, and hot chocolate. As we navigate November, many of us look toward the end of another year and begin to think back over how the year has gone - the highs, the lows, and all the in-betweens come back to us. It is in these moments of thought that we shift our minds one of two ways: we either have an attitude of disappointment or an attitude of gratitude.
Maybe the disappointment is valid. Maybe we did not get the job we wanted or the grade we thought we deserved. Maybe we did not get a spot on the team, the nicest car, or (fill in the blank). However, even in our disappointment, God still desires that we come to Him with these things rather than “shopping for contentment,” as I once heard a pastor say.
In February, a Gallup poll concluded that only 41% of Americans would consider themselves satisfied with the way things are going in their daily lives. For believers, we know that disappointment is a side effect of a fallen world. We all experience disappointment.
In my Bible class we just read in Mark 9 about Jesus healing a boy who was possessed by a demon, causing him to be mute and to violently convulse. Throughout the boy's life, the demon would throw him into water and fire, likely scarring and disfiguring him. Down to his last hope, the boy’s father begged Jesus to heal his son. The disciples had failed to cast the demon out with the authority that Jesus had provided, and the Pharisees and religious rulers stood by and mocked them. Disappointed, Jesus said to them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring (the boy) to me” (Mark 9:19). Even in His frustration, Jesus kept God's will at the forefront of His mind and healed the boy Himself.
What about seasons of grief? When we deal with grief it can consume us. How comforting it is to know that in these seasons our Lord identifies with us! In John 11, we see Jesus mourning and weeping (v. 35) over the loss of His dear friend, Lazarus. A large swath of people gathered around Lazarus’ tomb. Jesus had waited two days before going down to see him, disappointing Lazarus' sisters, Mary and Martha. In verses 21 and 32, they both say, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” But Jesus had a purpose for acting on His own timeline.
“Jesus said to (Martha), ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.’ When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’ The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go’” (John 11:40-44).
Jesus thanked the Father for simply hearing His prayer! He did this so that people would know that He was the Son of God, capable of raising a man from the dead. He was so in tune with the will of the Father that He knew how important it was just to have the ear of Almighty God!
When was the last time you had an attitude of gratitude toward God for simply hearing your prayers? Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Our Lord and Savior is able to relate to us on the deepest, most intimate level whether we are disappointed, grieving, angry, or anxious. Sometimes we may not see a prayer answered in the way that we want it to be answered, but we can have an attitude of gratitude because the Creator of the universe hears us, loves us, and can sympathize with us. Now, THAT is something to be thankful for!
Whatever season you are in, cling to Psalm 100 and may God bless you and your family this November with an attitude of gratitude and a perspective of peace, knowing that He is faithful and in control.
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his: we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations” (Psalm 100:1-5).
Tyler Cloud
Upper School Bible Teacher
Email Tyler
Tyler Cloud is an Upper School Bible teachers with a passion for reaching the hearts and minds of students for Christ. Some of his favorite moments working at LCA are when he is on stage speaking truth into students during chapel services and alpha camps, coaching young men on our baseball teams, and building one-on-one relationships with anyone who walks through his door. Whether you have known him for years or just a few months, you will leave his classroom feeling seen, valued, and loved.
Tyler is one of our primary authors for “The Well” series and will be providing space for our LCA family and community to be filled up with the truth of God’s word each month. Keep up with our social media pages as well as Paw Prints to stay in the know about when the next devotion will be published!
