What I mean is: Are you expecting?
If you take expectation out of the spiritual realm and look at it in the natural realm, think of some things you are expecting. Something that would take you by utter surprise if it turned out differently than you expected.
What is your reaction? It sometimes brings about a sense of shock or even an expectancy that the situation should change.
Let’s say you are expecting your child to come home from school and do his homework, just as he’s done every day that year. Except, today he comes in the front door, drops his backpack, plops down on the couch and begins to play a game on his phone instead.
What’s the first question out of your mouth? “Don’t you have homework?! Are you sure you don’t have something?! “
You had an expectation and it caused a response. Our expectations are usually based on or limited to what we’ve previously experienced. If your child sometimes has homework and sometimes doesn’t, your expectation would be different because of that.
What would happen if you really don’t know what to expect in a situation? You probably aren’t going to expect anything. Whatever happens is what you would accept.
Unfortunately, this is how most people relate to God. They might hope for something but then base their expectancy on what they’ve heard in church, family members, and their own experiences instead of on God’s word. They like to keep their expectations low, and default into thinking, “Maybe God wants to teach me something through this; God must have a reason for the delay…”and on and on it can go.
This is why many Christians struggle to receive from God. Of course, they want God to heal, deliver, and prosper them… hoping it might turn out for their good; But they don’t have a confident expectation of good. Therefore, any so called hope gets lost if they don’t immediately see what they hoped for.
Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Another translation says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Take this definition of faith and see if you are really expecting. Maybe for physical healing, or for deliverance out of a trial or problem; how about financial overflow? You may say, “Well, you know, God will handle it. It would be nice, but I don’t have much say, it’s whatever the Lord decides about how it will turn out.” Ugh! That’s a defeatist attitude!! You may not be wanting or necessarily expecting it to turn out negatively, but that passivity will by default produce doubt and uncertainty! NOT faith! Faith expects. You will receive from God according to your faith.
Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us
This verse says two things. God can do more than it is possible for us to even imagine. Second, what He can do in our lives is dependent on the power at work within us.
In Matthew 9:29, Jesus said, “according to your faith” (expectation) to the blind men
In Matthew 8:13 “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you” to the centurion
And in Matthew 5:34 “And he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well” to the woman with the issue of blood
Are you expecting total victory? Complete healing? More than enough?
Is your hope and expectancy in what God says about your situation?
WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING?
Faith is thankfulness for the future (you are assured) God has promised. Amen