October 18, 2026
Last week we talked about Dealing with disappointment when people let you down. It can be so upsetting when you trust someone and they disappoint you. But people are going to let you down, so don’t be surprised. We prayed for a thicker skin and a softer heart.
Today we’re talking about when God lets you down, which can be heartbreaking. Because so often we think God rescues, God saves. and God will fix whatever goes off the rails in my life. That’s God’s job, that’s why we pray to God, for him to fix things. But then you experience disappointment with God, like a loved one passes away, and you can’t understand: how could God let that happen? Why didn’t God save their life? Or maybe your marriage runs into difficulties, and you wonder why God doesn’t just make it all better. Maybe you have a child who becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol and their life spirals out of control, and you can’t understand why a good God would let something so awful happen?
What makes our heartbreak even worse is that we look around, and everybody else seems to be living a great life! Everybody else seems happy! You think their problems don’t come close to yours! Maybe someone you know tells you they lost the key to their luxury car, then they prayed to God, and He helped them find it! And you wish your life was that easy! You want to rejoice for other people when good things happen to them, but it gets hard! Why does God help them, but not you?
And sometimes there are well meaning Christians who tell you, “God will turn things around in your life. I had trouble, I prayed and God helped me. If God isn’t helping you, well I don’t know what’s going on with you, but maybe there’s something you’re doing wrong. Because I know God always helps me.” And if anybody ever told you that you are just getting what you deserve, I’m sorry. I apologize.
Because sometimes God lets you down. It’s not punishment. It’s hard. And we don’t know why. We know bad things happen to people, things they don’t deserve, because that happened to a really good guy, a man of God, who suffered.
Before Jesus started his ministry, his cousin, John the Baptist went out to the wilderness and called people to turn to God. Big crowds came to see John and to be baptized by him. He told everyone to turn away from their sins and turn towards God. John was a humble man, who wore animal skins and ate locusts with wild honey! He told people someone greater than I is coming! When Jesus came, John said, I’m not worthy to baptize you. But Jesus insisted, so John baptized him.
Jesus thought John was an amazing guy and said in Matthew 11:11, “Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.” He also said that John “is Elijah”, who is one of the greatest prophets in the Old Testament!
John the Baptist was a really good, courageous prophet, when you consider the main job of prophets in the Bible: it was to speak to the people, telling them what God wants them to do. John spoke for God.
That got him into trouble. King Herod Antipas decided to marry his brother’s wife, who also happened to be his niece. It wasn’t right according to Jewish law. So, John the Baptist said to Herod Antipas in Mark 6:18: “It is against God’s law for you to marry your brother’s wife.” God didn’t want Herod Antipas to marry her. And John the Baptist delivered that message from God!
Herod Antipas didn’t like that! He put John the Baptist in prison. Prisons today are not very nice, but they were much worse back then. Your family and friends had to bring you food or you would starve. John waited in a desert prison for a year hoping he would be released. It was very difficult.
Matthew 11:2-3 says, “When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask Jesus, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”
John has some doubts! He thinks, if Jesus is the Messiah, and he goes around working miracles, why doesn’t he help me? John is a holy and righteous man. Crowds of people came to be baptized and to listen to him teach about God. He wasn’t as great as Jesus. But he pointed so many people to Him. Now John wonders, why has Jesus deserted me? Jesus doesn’t even visit John the Baptist in prison.
Do you ever feel like God is a million miles away? You’re going through the toughest time of your life, and where is God? That’s how John feels. John the Baptist begins to wonder if maybe he has gotten Jesus all wrong. He hears what Jesus is doing: there’s a centurion, who’s not even Jewish, who has a sick servant, and Jesus heals the servant from several blocks away! Jesus works remotely, it’s amazing! And John the Baptist wonders: what about me? Why is it that God seems to come through for everybody else, but not for me?
So, John’s disciples ask Jesus, are you the one we’ve been waiting for? Or should we expect someone else? Jesus answers in Matthew 11:4-5, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy[b] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.”
This part is really important, so pay attention. Then in verse 6, Jesus is speaking to the crowd, but also, to US! Jesus says, 6 “Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” When you or I doubt God’s goodness, Jesus knew we would feel the way John did and ask, what about me? Where is God? Jesus says, Blessed are the followers who don’t quit following God when He doesn’t do what they think He should do.
Jesus knows if you lose faith, you substitute something else for it. And that substitution usually makes it worse, not better. Philip Yancey is a Christian writer. He says, “The only thing worse than disappointment with God, is trying to deal with disappointment without God.” Because you have no hope. Jesus is telling us he knows how difficult it is when you think God is a million miles away. But he’s right there with you. And happy are you if you keep believing and trusting.
So, Jesus sends John’s followers back to that prison to tell John what he said. But Jesus doesn’t go to see John. It’s confusing. Doesn’t Jesus care? Jesus says in Matthew 11:11 “Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” He’s saying, John the Baptist is the greatest human being ever! But I’m not going to rescue him. And Jesus may not rescue you.
Doubt doesn’t have to be the end of faith; it’s part of the journey. Our Christian faith shows us that John the Baptist, the greatest person ever, doubted. Because Jesus didn’t rescue him. But Jesus loved him. God was still with him.
There are so many tragedies in life: like people who lose a family member in a fatal accident. I often think the worst thing is when you lose a child. Then you meet a Christian who still follows God even though they’ve lost two children. Or three. It’s amazing when people in such difficulty keep the faith. Doubting God, but hanging in there is part of their journey. Sometimes God doesn’t take away the struggle. Instead, He helps you get through it. You can bring your questions to God. And trust that he’s with you, even in the valley of the shadow of death. God comforts you and pulls you through.
My challenge for you this week, is to think about something you are getting impatient with God about. Instead of turning away from God, turn toward him. You can complain to God, it’s ok! John the Baptist complained! You can complain to your Christian brothers and sisters: John the Baptist told his followers he had doubts about Jesus.
When God disappoints you and you feel let down, then you know how John the Baptist felt. God doesn’t always take away our trouble. Sometimes life isn’t tied up with a bow and a fairy tale ending. There’s pain and suffering. But God is with us, still working. God doesn’t always talk away the struggle, but he can help you get through it. You can complain to your friends at church. You can complain to God. You’re not alone. God offers strength and hope. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of God. Amen.
