Have you ever thrown a pity party for yourself? In order to have one:
Invitations must be sent to:
*Smashed expectations
*Lack of usefulness
* Continuing health or marriage problems
* other???fill in the blanks

Don’t worry, they’ll be glad to show up! This is the wedge Satan likes to use to undermine your confidence in God. It attacks your faith like the fiery darts Satan sends your way that are described in Ephesians 6.

When the children of Israel were going through the wilderness they became discouraged. They even wanted to go back to Egypt, a type of the world. Of the 2 million that left Egypt, only 2, Joshua and Caleb made it into the promised land because of their lack of faith, their complaining.

Folks, we will never be of any value to God when we throw a pity party! The Lord can’t use us when we are complaining because it is incompatible with faith and without faith it is impossible to please Him! Hebrews 11:6 What’s the answer? The Bible says, “In everything give thanks” and if we do God promises that faith will guard or garrison our hearts! Philippians 4:6,7 The trouble is, when you’re feeling sorry for yourself, you’re looking in the wrong direction! You have been judging God by your circumstances!

Look back! Look at the grace by which He has saved you! “God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”! Romans 5:8 Look back at all the ways He has carried you, directed you and provided for you!

Look ahead! Heaven is your destination, your home! You are an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ! You are going to inherit all that the Son is going to inherit! He is going to show you the “immeasurable riches of His grace” and it will take Him all eternity to do it! Ephesians 2.

Look within! God has given you the Holy Spirit to live within you as a down payment and assurance that He is coming back to get you as His purchased possession! Ephesians 1:13,14

Your problem is you’ve been looking in the wrong direction! You have been judging God by your circumstances instead of judging your circumstances by God!

It reminds me of a stanza from an old hymn; O fix our earnest gaze, so wholly Lord on Thee, that with Thy beauty occupied, we elsewhere none may see”.

God doesn’t promise to change our circumstances but he can change US in the circumstances when we begin to “praise Him for all that is past, and trust Him for all that’s to come”.

Pastor Terry