Don’t Let Disappointment Define Your Year - Encouragement for Today - November 26, 2025

Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

Proverbs 31 Ministries banner

Meghan Ryan

November 26, 2025

Don’t Let Disappointment Define Your Year
MEGHAN RYAN ASBURY

Lee en español

“… but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)

The holidays come with a lot of expectations. This can be a glaring reminder of all that hasn’t changed in the past 365 days — and I’ll raise my hand first to say I’m walking into this season with a lot of unmet expectations in tow.

Between the busyness of the season, shopping for gifts, and trying to finish all of our work before taking time off, it's hard to find time to process the unfulfilled dreams we may have had for this time of year.

Which leaves room for hopelessness to creep in.

Maybe you thought this year you’d have someone to bring home with you.
Maybe you thought you’d get to share a pregnancy announcement.
Maybe you thought you’d be over that particular struggle or you'd have something new and noteworthy to share at the family dinner table.

But Isaiah 40:31 reminds us that we can still have hope in the midst of disappointment: “Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

When we put our hope “in the LORD” and not in our circumstances, we don’t have to let disappointments define our whole year. Every year can be marked by hope in the midst of what has been hard.

Hope in the Lord is the best kind of hope. The kind we don’t have to be afraid of letting us down. The kind that doesn’t make us embarrassed, disappointed, or ashamed. Rather, it helps us run the race of life God has gifted us with. And we don’t have to stay weary in the waiting; the Lord gives us strength for each step.

Friend, we need the hope of Christmas this year more than ever. Not in the Hallmark-y, happy-ending sort of way but for the real reason we celebrate: Our Savior came and is coming again soon. And that’s worth putting all our hope in.

Let’s define our years with hope. The hope of life to come. The hope of something so much better than what’s right in front of us that we can’t even wrap our minds around it. The hope that strengthens us day by day.

God, I come to You weary, worn, and waiting. This time of year often reminds me of what I wish were different about my life. Show me how to still be hopeful about what has not happened yet. At the same time, help me find gratitude for where I am today. Teach me to define my year not by what I don’t have but by what You have given me: Jesus. In the meantime, help me to love it here. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

The lights will fade. The wrapping paper will be thrown away. The calendar will clear. But one thing will remain — the presence of Jesus. That’s why Advent matters. It’s more than a countdown to Christmas; it’s an invitation to slow down and remember the hope, peace, and joy that can’t be found under a tree. Our new study, More Than a Manger, begins November 30, and this is the last chance to get your copy in time to study with us! As an added bonus, we’ll include some of our favorite recipes from author Karen Ehman’s kitchen. So let this be the year you enter the season with a heart that’s ready, steady, and centered on Jesus.

width

ENGAGE

If you find yourself tired of trying, weary from the demands of daily life, or just plain exhausted from getting your hopes up only to be disappointed, Meghan made something just for you. It’s a free guide called “Hope for the Holidays: A Reflection Guide for When You’re Not Where You Thought You’d Be.” This 10-page guide will help you experience the abundance of the season you are in right now instead of feeling like you are behind in life.

And find out more about Meghan’s book, You Are Not Behind, here!

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Romans 5:5, “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (NIV).

Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (NIV).

What disappointments are you letting define your year? How can you redefine the end of this year by putting your hope in the Lord? Share with us in the comments!

© 2025 by Meghan Ryan Asbury. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org

 

Salem News Channel Today

Sponsored Links


September 26 - Phoenix, AZ
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts


November 2 - Detroit, MI
Zion Christian Church in Troy


October 6 - Los Angeles, CA
Pasadena Convention Center


November 5 - San Antonio, TX
Norris Centers – The Grand Red Oak Ballroom


October 8 - Sacramento, CA
William Jessup University


November 7 - Tampa, FL
The Palladium at St. Pete College


October 22 - Minneapolis, MN
Crowne Plaza AiRE


November 15 - San Francisco, CA
Fremont Marriott Silicon Valley


October 23 - Philadelphia, PA
Green Valley Country Club


November 16 - Denver, CO
CU South Denver - Formerly Wildlife Experience


November 2 - Chicago, IL
Chicago Westin Northwest in Itasca


November 21 - Cleveland, OH
Holiday Inn Rockside in Independence



Salem Radio Network Speakers

Larry Elder is an American lawyer, writer, and radio and television personality who calls himself the "Sage of South Central" a district of Los Angeles, Larry says his philosophy is to entertain, inform, provoke and to hopefully uplift. His calling card is "we have a country to save" and to him this means returning to the bedrock Constitutional principles of limited government and maximum personal responsibility. Elder's iconoclastic wit and intellectual agility makes him a particularly attractive voice in a nation that seems weary of traditional racial dialogue.” – Los Angeles Times.

Mike Gallagher Mike Gallagher began his broadcasting career in 1978 in Dayton, Ohio. Today, he is one of the most listened-to talk radio show hosts in America, recently having been ranked in the Talkers Magazine “Heavy Hundred” list – the 100 most important talk radio hosts in America. Prior to being launched into national syndication in 1998, Mike hosted the morning show on WABC-AM in New York City. Today, Talkers Magazine reports that his show is heard by over 3.75 million weekly listeners. Besides his radio work, Mike is seen on Fox News Channel as an on-air contributor, frequently appearing on the cable news giant.

Hugh Hewitt is one of the nation’s leading bloggers and a genuine media revolutionary. He brings that expertise, his wit and what The New Yorker magazine calls his “amiable but relentless manner” to his nationally syndicated show each day.

When Dr. Sebastian Gorka was growing up, he listened to talk radio under his pillow with a transistor radio, dreaming that one day he would be behind the microphone. Beginning New Year’s Day 2019, he got his wish. Gorka now hosts America First every weekday afternoon 3 to 6pm ET. Gorka’s unique story works well on the radio. He is national security analyst for the Fox News Channel and author of two books: "Why We Fight" and "Defeating Jihad." His latest book releasing this fall is “War For America’s Soul.” He is uniquely qualified to fight the culture war and stand up for what is great about America, his adopted home country.

Broadcasting from his home station of KRLA in Los Angeles, the Dennis Prager Show is heard across the country. Everything in life – from politics to religion to relationships – is grist for Dennis’ mill. If it’s interesting, if it affects your life, then Dennis will be talking about it – with passion, humor, insight and wisdom.

Sean Hannity is a conservative radio and television host, and one of the original primetime hosts on the Fox News Channel, where he has appeared since 1996. Sean Hannity began his radio career at a college station in California, before moving on to markets in the Southeast and New York. Today, he’s one of the most listened to on-air voices. Hannity’s radio program went into national syndication on September 10, 2001, and airs on more than 500 stations. Talkers Magazine estimates Hannity’s weekly radio audience at 13.5 million. In 1996 he was hired as one of the original hosts on Fox News Channel. As host of several popular Fox programs, Hannity has become the highest-paid news anchor on television.

Michelle Malkin is a mother, wife, blogger, conservative syndicated columnist, longtime cable TV news commentator, and best-selling author of six books. She started her newspaper journalism career at the Los Angeles Daily News in 1992, moved to the Seattle Times in 1995, and has been penning nationally syndicated newspaper columns for Creators Syndicate since 1999. She is founder of conservative Internet start-ups Hot Air and Twitchy.com. Malkin has received numerous awards for her investigative journalism, including the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) national award for outstanding service for the cause of governmental ethics and leadership (1998), the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award for Investigative Journalism (2006), the Heritage Foundation and Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity's Breitbart Award for Excellence in Journalism (2013), the Center for Immigration Studies' Eugene Katz Award for Excellence in the Coverage of Immigration Award (2016), and the Manhattan Film Festival's Film Heals Award (2018). Married for 26 years and the mother of two teenage children, she lives with her family in Colorado. Follow her at michellemalkin.com. (Photo reprinted with kind permission from Peter Duke Photography.)

Sponsored by:

Don’t Let Disappointment Define Your Year - Encouragement for Today - November 26, 2025

Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

Proverbs 31 Ministries banner

Meghan Ryan

November 26, 2025

Don’t Let Disappointment Define Your Year
MEGHAN RYAN ASBURY

Lee en español

“… but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)

The holidays come with a lot of expectations. This can be a glaring reminder of all that hasn’t changed in the past 365 days — and I’ll raise my hand first to say I’m walking into this season with a lot of unmet expectations in tow.

Between the busyness of the season, shopping for gifts, and trying to finish all of our work before taking time off, it's hard to find time to process the unfulfilled dreams we may have had for this time of year.

Which leaves room for hopelessness to creep in.

Maybe you thought this year you’d have someone to bring home with you.
Maybe you thought you’d get to share a pregnancy announcement.
Maybe you thought you’d be over that particular struggle or you'd have something new and noteworthy to share at the family dinner table.

But Isaiah 40:31 reminds us that we can still have hope in the midst of disappointment: “Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

When we put our hope “in the LORD” and not in our circumstances, we don’t have to let disappointments define our whole year. Every year can be marked by hope in the midst of what has been hard.

Hope in the Lord is the best kind of hope. The kind we don’t have to be afraid of letting us down. The kind that doesn’t make us embarrassed, disappointed, or ashamed. Rather, it helps us run the race of life God has gifted us with. And we don’t have to stay weary in the waiting; the Lord gives us strength for each step.

Friend, we need the hope of Christmas this year more than ever. Not in the Hallmark-y, happy-ending sort of way but for the real reason we celebrate: Our Savior came and is coming again soon. And that’s worth putting all our hope in.

Let’s define our years with hope. The hope of life to come. The hope of something so much better than what’s right in front of us that we can’t even wrap our minds around it. The hope that strengthens us day by day.

God, I come to You weary, worn, and waiting. This time of year often reminds me of what I wish were different about my life. Show me how to still be hopeful about what has not happened yet. At the same time, help me find gratitude for where I am today. Teach me to define my year not by what I don’t have but by what You have given me: Jesus. In the meantime, help me to love it here. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

The lights will fade. The wrapping paper will be thrown away. The calendar will clear. But one thing will remain — the presence of Jesus. That’s why Advent matters. It’s more than a countdown to Christmas; it’s an invitation to slow down and remember the hope, peace, and joy that can’t be found under a tree. Our new study, More Than a Manger, begins November 30, and this is the last chance to get your copy in time to study with us! As an added bonus, we’ll include some of our favorite recipes from author Karen Ehman’s kitchen. So let this be the year you enter the season with a heart that’s ready, steady, and centered on Jesus.

width

ENGAGE

If you find yourself tired of trying, weary from the demands of daily life, or just plain exhausted from getting your hopes up only to be disappointed, Meghan made something just for you. It’s a free guide called “Hope for the Holidays: A Reflection Guide for When You’re Not Where You Thought You’d Be.” This 10-page guide will help you experience the abundance of the season you are in right now instead of feeling like you are behind in life.

And find out more about Meghan’s book, You Are Not Behind, here!

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Romans 5:5, “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (NIV).

Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (NIV).

What disappointments are you letting define your year? How can you redefine the end of this year by putting your hope in the Lord? Share with us in the comments!

© 2025 by Meghan Ryan Asbury. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org

 

Salem News Channel Today

Sponsored Links

On Air & Up Next

See the Full Program Guide