Though we may feel as if we are prepared for any situation, life never fails to blindside us as unexpected things go wrong around every corner. Outcomes we thought were sure to go our way suddenly take a turn for the worst, or out of the blue we misjudge our circumstances and make a major mistake. One thing we can be absolutely sure of is that nothing in life is certain, and nothing can be assumed or taken for granted. No matter how optimistic we remain, the world never fails to disappoint us in the most surprising ways. At times people will disappoint us, and most of all, we find that we disappoint ourselves, because we are all only human, fallible and imperfect in our mortal state. Because we live in a corrupted world, under the power of the evil one, we face sin and aberrant behavior every day. Though we belong to God, we must live in a realm of brokenness, doing our best to pull ourselves out of the darkness and into our Father’s light. But, even in this troubled and changeable world, there is one thing we can all rely on. Our hope and strength is the Lord, who never fails to show us abundant love and mercy. His faithfulness and steadfast wisdom is beyond our understanding, but if we trust, we can make it through any disappoint our life may have in store. All that He is in thoughts and ways belong to a higher and more virtuous stratus than ours do. We can only stand in awe and praise of His perfection and unfailing gracious love for His imperfect and frail children. When we are tossed about by disappointment and the erratic ways of this world, we can cling to our Rock, who we know will deliver us and shield us. He is our refuge from the tumult of life and gives us confidence in knowing that He is the one thing that will be constant and unchanging yesterday, today, and forever. Our confidence comes from our Father, who is a Father of truth and embodying everything that we cannot be. Every good thing we are given comes from our heavenly Father above. Though the world gives us disappointment, He keeps His promises, and where the evil one enshrouds his realm in darkness, our Father floods our lives with light and love. The confidence we lose in the inevitable disappointments of the world is replaced by a better and stronger confidence when we rely on the steadfast and unfaltering character of our Father.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

“We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” 1 John 5:19

“The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,” Exodus 35:6

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17

“God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” Numbers 23:19

“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2