Dr. Linda Helps - It happens all the time. People let you down. It hurts. You never get used to being disappointed. For example, your father promised to take you to the Cubs game. He didn’t. Your wife said she would make time for physical intimacy. She didn’t. Friends promised to call you on the weekend. They never phoned. While you were ill in bed, no one from the church visited or called. After a lifetime of such disappointments, depression can set in. You may feel like nobody keeps their word or will be there for you in time of need.

But, do not give in to such thinking. Even if you have been let down time and again, you have someone you can trust. God is the only one who will never disappoint. Learn to shift your dependence from people and things to God. Try to understand that behind disappointment is anger, possibly at those who did not come through when you needed them.

The children of Israel had a long history of dependence based on disappointment. They had a great leader Moses but leaned on him too much. When things went wrong, they complained to Moses and wanted him to rectify the situation. They expected him to speak to God and take care of them. Regularly, they reminded Moses of their suffering in the wilderness and blamed him for taking them out of Egypt. Despite the miracles of God, they struggled to depend on Him.

In Joshua 1, the Lord says to Joshua, “Moses is dead. Arise!” God then tells Joshua, it’s your turn and here are my promises.

Moses was gone. So, Joshua had to choose to depend on God and believe His promises.

Do you have a Moses in your life? Is there someone or something that you trust to take care of you? Maybe it’s your talent, money, church, or pastor. If so, you will be disappointed. God’s Word to you is that Moses is dead. It’s time for you to arise.

Stop complaining about what did not happen in your life. Do not dwell on all the ways you have been wronged. Think of Joshua, a slave led around the desert who put his trust in God, not a man simply doing the Lord’s work. You need to do the same. Your Moses will let you down at some point in your life. It may be deliberate or it may be accidental, but you will be disappointed.

It’s great to find people in whom you can trust. But for those times when trust is hard to find, turn only to God. You can always depend on Him. He is your source for everything--provision, supply, love, creativity, resources, and healing. Depend on God and you will not be disappointed. You will find yourself able to handle any situation because your trust is in the Lord and not people. This is a great reason to be encouraged. We have a dependable God.

Dr. Mintle – author, professor, Approved Supervisor and Clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy – is a speaker and media personality, as well as a licensed clinical social worker with over twenty years in psychotherapy practice.

For more articles and information, visit Dr. Linda Mintle's Web site.