These encouraging Bible verses will help you to overcome disappointment through the words and truths of the Lord God and Jesus Christ. The Scriptures will comfort your heart when you're disappointed and bring faith, hope, and strength to your spirit.
I am not a born optimist, but then, I don't think anyone really is.
Despite appearances, I do not naturally see the good in people or in situations. My heart hides snarky cynicism and crushing depression, fragile insecurity and paralyzing anxiety. I have to work (harder than you think) at being pleasant and cheerful and uplifting.
I fail.
It is 12:52 am.
I am alone in a dark, quiet house. Isn't this every mothers' dream? Peace and quiet and time for reflection?
The rest of my family is enjoying a planned weekend away. I, too, had weekend plans, cancelled against my wishes at the last minute.
My heart is so heavy, burdened with the loss of encouragement and refreshment and friendship the weekend promised.
My limbs should be splayed out in the middle of my empty bed, and I should be deep in sleep.
About ten minutes ago, words I read in a Skype chat almost three weeks ago jolted me awake. My eyes flung open, and I jumped out of bed.
You should write about dealing with disappointment, she typed.
I can't, I argued. There are too many disappointments in my life right now (little did I know what was on the horizon!). It's just too close to home.
I don't remember what she said next, whether it was something like That's why you should write about it, or Do it when you're ready, or maybe nothing at all. I hadn't thought about the conversation another second until it woke me up in the middle of the night.
Disappointment (noun): the feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the defeat of one's hopes or expectations
The disappointments in my life have been many.
The selfish, immature part of me wants to lay them all out before you, as if your kindness and pity would make them go away. They won't.
Our circumstances are different, yours and mine, but we both have them. Yours are as real and crushing and painful to you as mine are to me, and they linger, needling our hearts, despite our best intentions to leave them behind.
13 Bible Verses to Overcome Disappointment
- Believe in God's plan. Our God is a miracle worker. He can part waters, move boulders, heal the dead (not just the sick, remember, the dead), save, destroy, bless, and curse. He can do anything, everything, things beyond our comprehension. He has done, all throughout history, for Christians all over the world.
"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." -Isaiah 55:8-9
When I say you have to believe, I mean you have to believe that God has got this thing in His hands. He is looking out for you. He is working out a plan that is bigger than you, and you are going to be better for it in the end.
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." -Jeremiah 29:11
Sometimes, it takes a painful disappointment to teach us a skill or strengthen our faith or to put us in the right place at the right time. We don't know His ways or His thoughts. We just have to believe in His promise.
- Grieve. Things have not gone the way you wanted. Your hopes and expectations have been defeated. You need to spend some quiet time being sad, mourning the way you thought things would be.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. -Psalm 34:18
Cry. Exercise. Read. Do whatever it is that releases the sadness, the disappointment, the defeat, the suffering.
And then, eventually, you have to stop grieving and move on.Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. -Psalm 30:5
Disappointment is not meant to define you, my friend. It is not meant to hold you hostage or weigh you down into the mire of depression. Don't give it that power.
- Pray. You had to know this was coming, right? Spend some time talking to your Heavenly Father. Tell Him your heartache. Tell Him about the plans you had and ask Him to show you why He's taken them away. I promise you that He has good in this for you, and it's okay to ask Him what that good is.
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28
Talk to Him like you'd talk to your best friend. Your prayer doesn't have to be pretty or sound like one at your church. It just has to be honest and come from your heart.
Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. -Psalm 55:22
You, my friend, are the godly. You are chasing after God, trying to do the right thing, seeking a better understanding of Him. Aren't you? He's talking about you.
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:6-7
- Listen and wait. Big things happen when we pray. Sometimes, they are blessings beyond our expectations.
But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. -Matthew 6:6
Sometimes they happen right away, but usually they happen later when we least expect them. Keep waiting in God's love and grace. You'll know when your prayer has been answered.
Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. -Psalms 27:14
- Search for the good. This is a miserable time to try to be thankful. I don't know about you, but all I want to do is wallow in self pity of my dreams deferred (or dreams lost). This is the time when it's hardest - and most important - to find the good, grab onto it with both hands, and celebrate it. You need to find a new perspective and praise the One who created all the good in the world.
This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. -Psalm 118:24
In beginning this post in the middle of the night, I came to understand that it wouldn't have happened if my plans had worked out. I wouldn't have been sleeping fitfully. I wouldn't have jumped out of bed to write these words. It was God's plan for me to write these words. (It has been an incredibly soothing and cathartic process). It is also His plan for you to be reading them right now. I am thankful that He chose me.
Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:19b-20
- Believe in yourself. You too are part of God's great plan. He is preparing you to do His work right now, even in this time of disappointment. No matter what burden comes, know that He will help you stand underneath it, carry it up the hill, and triumph over it in the end.*
Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. -Isaiah 40:28-31
God believes in you. You may not feel equipped to handle this on your own, but He'll give you what you need to get through it.
For I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength. -Philippians 4:13
*The triumph doesn't always happen when we think it should. Sometimes, we only triumph over our struggles as we leave this broken world. A conversation I had with my pastor illustrates this point:
"Tara, God will heal her."
"I just don't know that He will. She is so sick. She hardly gets out of bed."
"He is going to heal her. He might heal her body now, or He might heal her soul in heaven, but you can trust Him to heal her."
Wow. The simplicity and immensity of that statement left me with many tears but complete peace. We can trust Him to defeat our disappointment, no matter what it is.
Get these Bible verses on overcoming disappointment in a convenient black and white printable below. You can work on memorizing and meditating on them, one at a time.
If you need help with a system for memorizing verses, check out this post on our family's memorization habit.
sarah says
thanks tara, i'm up at 1:30 am tonight thinking about how my 1st yr anniversary didn't turn out at all like how i planned and i felt really disappointed. the verses from the bible and what you wrote along with them made me tear up a little but i felt a lot better. sometimes i forget to pray to God and forget that he has everyone in his plans. your writing reminded me of that
poly says
I was demoted, discouraged and critisized. And they took my position and give it to my student whom i trained and trust. Every time my manager critisize my job, no mater how hard i try. I end up hating her and feeling sorry for my self. Wish bad thing to happen to her.
poly says
After reading this msg, i feel better and healed internally. I see things in different way. I forgive those i believed they betrayed me and release all the passed pain and i stop feeling sorry for my self. I believe everything happened at the right time and place. And it happened for a reason. And i believe God is preparing something bick for me.
Kean Hooi Teh says
Thanks Tara for the wonderful article. It helps me in this difficult time I'm experiencing.
My canine companion, Lucky passed away two weeks ago. Recurring medical condition hit me again and a lot of my plans have gone awry. Also, I feel that the relationship I'm pursuing right now is not going to work out too.
I'm going to meditate on it and talk to our heavenly Father. Please pray for me too. Thanks again.
Amanda says
Hi, my name is Amanda and I am asking for prayer today, my husband left me 7 months ago and doesn't seem to want anything to do with me. He is a good father to our 2 year old son, Josiah, but he doesn't give me the time of day. We fought a lot at home and he eventually left me. I didn't do anything major like cheat or drink or do drugs but I now know I made him a god over my real God. Please pray for me my heart is broken and I don't know if I should peruse a divorce. I don't know if he has someone else or not. He doesn't tell me anything. Thank you so much. I just want the pain to stop and to a good mom to my son, I find myself crying all the time. Life doesn't seem worth living like this. I know I need to live for God but it's so hard when someone you love has treated you like dirt.
Tara Ziegmont says
I'm sorry that it has taken me so long to respond to your comment, Amanda. I'm not an expert, but it sounds to me like you might need to see a doctor or a therapist. There is nothing wrong with getting help for yourself. It will make you a better mother and a healthier person. Everyone experiences ups and downs, but when you say that it seems like life isn't worth living, I think you need to find someone to help you. Please get help, if not for your own sake, for the sake of your son. You deserve to be healthy, and he deserves to have a healthy mom.
Bill says
Well, I had to wait until 2 years later at 4:15 am to have God send me here. I'm struggling with trying to build a relationship with my daughter after missing so much time with her because of my addiction. Got sober and we are working on healing but it is slow and loaded with disappointments. Thank you for this wonderful lift.
N. Bafo says
What a blessing this post is, I was really excited about something and it eventually didn't come to pass. I'm feeling so much lighter now. I now know that God's plans can be bigger/different to mine and all I have to do is to trust in him and be thankful for the journey I'm on because in the end I'll be a better person. I thank God for you and your blog post, I really do
T. Boomer says
Your words have provided salve for my open wounds and hurting heart. Thank you for providing more than scriptures. Thank you for not telling us to get over it because God loves us, the world needs happy Christians to set examples, etc. God bless you.
D. H. says
I just read your post. I am currently dealing with disappointment from family & friends. Feeling really down. I found you blog post. It has helped me extremely. I am going to save this, read & meditate on the scriptures. Thank You! You're disappointment touched my disappointment and your words have given me comfort. Your disappointment was not in vain. Bless You!
Ejbgirl says
Me and my fiancé just broke up for the last time. I'm 39 years old and I've been divorced for 9 years. I finally thought God had answered my prayers with this man. We went through a lot over the last 15 months and believed God had allowed us to persevere and overcome. But not so, I am so disappointed, I am afraid because I'm 39, no kids and not married. Where is the promise, God?
Tara, Thank you for allowing God to use you. This definitely ministered to my spirit. They were so real and I could relate. May God continue to use you to bless others! I would love to correspond further.
Shana says
My husband and I just found out that our 17 year old baby girl has been on a self destructive path of sex and drugs for the past 8 weeks. We have worked so hard to give her the best Christian home and raise her and her siblings in the way God has called us to. This has caused me so much disappointment that I cannot even fathom. Thank you for your post because as I sit outside my daughter's bedroom door, praying through my tears for her safety and for God's hand to guide her and lead her back, for the third straight hour, these words have brought me some reassurance. God is good and He is faithful.
Tracy says
Tara, God bless you! I pray that he will continue to bless you, keep you and use you. This was such a blessing to me this morning. I woke up feeling so broken and disappointed. I've been married for five years. I love my husband so much and I thought he loved he as much as I love him.... I year and a half ago I found out he was cheating on, I forgave him. I don't like gun and I've told him over and over again b/c he always talked about getting one. The same day I found out he was cheating it's the same day I found out he had bought a gun and had it for a while too with out telling me and I forgave him for that also. He bought a car with out letting me know, opened a back account without me knowing and as you can see the pattern and I can go on and on and on and I forgave him too. Now I'm at the point now that I might just have to walk away from the man I love.....how much more can I take? I got up to read my bible this morning and I didn't.....I went online and looked up disappointment and this was one of the search result. I cried and I prayed at the same time while I was reading because your encouragement and the scriptures empowered me. I stopped crying and I'm trusting God whatever the outcome may be. Thank you so much! God bless you....
Candy Bowen says
Psalm 118:8 "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put your confidence in man"
This verse is the exact center of the Bible (kjv). Whenever somebody lets me down, this Scripture comes to mind. It really helps me to keep things in perspective. People will let you down, but God NEVER will. Thank You for this excellent article!
Apostle Edward Ampadu says
Dear beloved one's in Christ
The word disappointment,is your life it's soo difficult for everyone unless you pray
Dave says
Thank you.
qtaug says
Thank you! At a low point now, and your words have hit home. God bless!
Laura says
You have no idea what this post has just done for me and I know without a doubt that I was meant to come across it. Thankful that I am LOVED by HIM! Thank you my sister in Christ...
MarBar says
Tara, Did you ever think that God would touch so many lives with the precious, thoughtful words you wrote?! I wonder just how many people have read this post and found exactly what God wanted them to find!
God is so good. I appreciate you and your willingness to obey and trust God's prompts/timing, even when it's not convenient. You have really encouraged me. Seeing your obedience (in taking the time to write these words) and how the words have provided much needed encouragement to people with real needs, is so inspiring! When we are faithful with the small things, He will entrust us with much greater things! Thank you.
Tara Ziegmont says
I had no idea. The comments alone are a beautiful reminder of the enormity of our great God. I never cease to be amazed.
santi says
Thank God for you have been a blessing to us. It refreshes my soul and joyfully sing hallejujah to the most high God. His name is higher. His name is above every names including disappointment. Praise God!!!
Melinda echols says
I had a million tears running down my face. Just the words i needed !
Maggie says
Thank you so much for sharing this message from God <3 🙂 I was in deep hurt looking for comfort when I found your blog. God Bless you!
Tammy says
Dear Tara, God bless you for writing how scripture can help with disappointment. I am 3 weeks away from having my youngest daughter her husband and 2 grandsons move cross country. I have another daughter and her family that moved to the west five years ago. We work for the same national company. I had hopes of also relocating west as well. Unfortunately it doesn't look like I will be chosen to relocate through my employer. I trust that the Lord knows what's best for me. His will be done. However my understanding and acceptance of his will does not make the pain and disappointment less. I witnessed the birth of both children and baby sat the older one for two years. Please pray that the Lord will grant me patience. Thank you
Lisa says
I have had trial after trial for 3 years . I use to be very active in my church and served in leadership in several churches . I lost my job after 22 years at a hospital , due to a failed back surgery and I may be facing another one . Only tonight did I really let myself deal with my disappointment in God . I know that from here he can start to heal my heart and emotions . My home was foreclosed on before Christmas and now The place that God had provided there was a mix up and I have to come up with 800.00 to turn my power on do we can move home . I and my hubby are with my daughter in a 1 bedroom house with 6 dogs . My disability has not been approved yet . Please keep this in prayer .
Cindy says
Thank you. You will never know how much i needed this message at this very moment!! May God bless you.
Tara Ziegmont says
I'm so glad. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Misc says
This post was so profound and such a blessing. Thank you for posting. The way you worded your comments were well spoken.
locratia says
[email protected]
my God is busy restoring my lost i trust him an eligently seek his kingdom
Cathy says
I discovered your blog last night. Read through the 13 scriptures several times as I read your comments regarding them. I wake up this beautiful Sunday morning having just had the best sleep I've ever had in the past 11 monthes. The nature of my disappointment is such that, well I know the effects are going to be around for a while if not for the rest of my life.
I thank God for you and what HE inspired you to write. You wrote it in 2013 and it is still blessing many. I felt myself sinking into extreme sadness and depression. I know God's word. I'm a bible teacher. You little blog with its sincere comments and familiar verses has set my feet back on the rock. If God is for us who can be against? Thanks for your obedience that night so long ago
Tara Ziegmont says
Thank you for your very kind words. I have a post on Bible verses for times when things feel hopeless going up in the morning. They may also bring you some peace. I hope so.
rosa lucero says
Thank you so much for this. Truly helped see my situation differently. God bless you.
jaya says
Thanku soo much for urs inspirational words...I have to learn this lods of matters.....
Tanya says
Having a hard time with a hurting heart. The feeling of complete disappointment from someone that is suppose to love you and your child. Nico
LesLee says
When you wrote this did you ever think 3 years later you would be answering a much needed prayer? I didn't know where to start with dealing with the disappointment I was dealing with. I had tried to be grateful for the little things, but the bad just seemed to out weight the good. I am thankful for this today. It was a much needed wake up call. God is so good at showing us what we need. We just have to be willing to wipe the tears from our eyes to see what He is doing. Thank you