The Storm Of Disappointment Series

Psalm 88:1-18

“The Storm of Disappointment

There is a phrase that we can use sometimes. It is a phrase which brings with it a high level of emotional response – and can create real questions and real hurt.

The phrase is I am so disappointed.

It may be a disappointment with others

We thought a relationship was developing … but it was full of empty promises.

We had expectations that were not met … and now we are feel hurt and broken.

A person has behaved in a way that makes us feel dismissed.

You can put your example here.

Another area of disappointment is the disappointment in yourself because YOU KNOW you have let others

Disappointment over your response towards a loved one.

Feeling that we have let our own character standards down.

Examples from your own life quickly comes to mind.

Disappointment with others.

Disappointment with ourselves.

These disappointments can bring big storms into our lives.

However, I would suggest that the biggest “disappointment storm” is the storm which comes when we are disappointed with God.

Now, we might think, you can’t tell God that you are disappointed with Him.

Actually we can.

In fact, the Scriptures have many examples of people who expressed their disappointment with God. One of these is Psalm 88.

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth. A maskil by Heman the Ezrahite.

1 LORD, You are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to You.

2 May my prayer come before You; turn Your ear to my cry.

3 I am overwhelmed with troubles and my life draws near to death.

4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like one without strength.

5 I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom You remember no more, who are cut off from Your care.

6 You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.

7 Your wrath lies heavily on me; You have overwhelmed me with all Your waves.

8 You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them.

I am confined and cannot escape; 9 my eyes are dim with grief.

I call to You, LORD, every day; I spread out my hands to You.

10 Do You show Your wonders to the dead?

Do their spirits rise up and praise You?

11 Is Your love declared in the grave, Your faithfulness in Destruction?

12 Are Your wonders known in the place of darkness, or Your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

13 But I cry to You for help, LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before You.

14 Why, LORD, do you reject me and hide Your face from me?

15 From my youth I have suffered and been close to death; I have borne Your terrors and am in despair.

16 Your wrath has swept over me; Your terrors have destroyed me.

17 All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me.

18 You have taken from me friend and neighbour—

darkness is my closest friend.

In the Hebrew the last word of the Psalm is “darkness”

18 You have taken from me friend and neighbour—

my closest friend—is darkness.

Heman is disappointed with God.

Such a deep disappointment that it is darkness.

This is a pretty heavy Psalm.

And it is not the only time the Scriptures give us a record of someone expressing disappointment with God.

Psalm 69:3 … written by David the King

3 I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched.

My eyes fail, looking for my God.

I’m calling out to You God, but You are not showing up.

Psalm 77:7-9 … written by Asaph. If you were here last week you may remember that Asaph was a chief musician in the temple.

7 Will the LORD reject forever? Will He never show His favour again?

8 Has His unfailing love vanished forever? Has His promise failed for all time?

9 Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has He in anger withheld His compassion?

God you are failing to do Your job.

Jeremiah 20:18 … Jeremiah is a prophet.

18 Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame?

Jeremiah constantly faces ridicule and persecution. And he gets to a point where he feels that God’s care and protection is not at the level Jeremiah expects. So Jeremiah basically says to God “I wish I had never been born.”

David. Asaph Jeremiah.

All these men are mature servants of God.

All these men have a long deep spiritual journey with God.