Getting Past Disappointments - Victoria Osteen

Everyone experiences disappointments in life. Maybe a friend let you down. Maybe you didn't get a job you wanted. Maybe you lost something or someone important in your life. If we aren't careful, those disappointments can become like potholes in the road to our destiny that can get us stuck and keep us from moving forward. 

Nothing is a surprise to God. Scripture tells us there is a season to mourn, and you don't want to miss that season. However, you don't want to get stuck there either. When a door in your life closes, God always gives you the grace to move forward. Scripture says He will give you beauty for ashes. What are those ashes? Those are the places where life has burned you—the losses, the disappointments, wrong choices in life. What is the beauty? His healing and restoration beyond what you could ever imagine!

Today, if you are ready to move beyond a disappointment, begin by searching your heart for any unforgiveness. Unforgiveness holds us back, but forgiveness sets us free to move forward. Forgiveness doesn't justify or excuse what happened; it simply means that you are trusting God to move you past the disappointment into His divine appointment.

Make the choice right now to release yesterday, release the disappointments, release what didn't work out. Forgive and trust God to move you forward into the blessing and victory He has in store for your future.

"… He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives … to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair…" (Isaiah 61:1-3, NIV)