March 18 | When Disappointment Shakes Our Expectations

Today’s reading from Deuteronomy 32–34 and Mark 15 invites us to reflect on how faith is formed in moments when expectations are disrupted, and God’s work unfolds in ways that are difficult to understand. Both passages hold space for the tension between what people hoped would happen and what actually unfolds, reminding us that formation often occurs in seasons of uncertainty rather than clarity.In Deuteronomy 32–34, Moses reaches the end of his life after leading Israel through decades of wilderness formation. He sees the Promised Land from a distance but does not enter it himself. The moment carries both fulfillment and limitation, showing how God’s purposes continue beyond the life and expectations of any single leader.In Mark 15, Jesus is crucified under the charge “King of the Jews,” surrounded by mockery, confusion, and abandonment. For those who followed Him, the cross would have felt like the collapse of everything they believed was about to happen, revealing how deeply human expectations shape the way we interpret God’s work.Together, these passages invite us to consider how faith is shaped in moments when outcomes do not match what we imagined. They leave us reflecting on how God’s purposes often unfold slowly and unexpectedly, calling us to remain present even when the path forward is not yet clear.