Expectations!
The other day I was listening to a message by Louie Giglio about Lifting our expectations. I just wanted to share some of what he said as well as some thought that are on my heart.
“No eye has seen, not ear has heard, no mind has imagined what God has planned for those who love Him.” 1 Cor 2:9
Many of you maybe in a place where you think this is all there is. You use to have dreams and expectations, but now you are at a place where you think this is as good as it’s going to get. But God has a big plan for you and I. So don’t count Him out! I know there have been times in my journey with the Lord where I've wondered, why should I have any expectations that “this” is going to be any different than last time. There have also been times when my heart was so overflowing with expectation and faith that my God could do anything. God tells us in His Word to “walk by faith and not by sight.” 2 Cor 2:7.
How do you come into worship, to your quite time with the Lord, do you come with expectation?
I have two examples of how coming with expectation can change everything. I grew up attending Big Stuf Camp in Panama City,FL. It was the Church camp that my church went to every summer. Leading up to camp everyone had such expectation that they knew God was going to do something great, and every time He would blow us away. Yet, when we would come home Sunday mornings didn’t change. This got me thinking one night…God hasn’t changed, He is still worthy of our praise, so what had changed? Our expectation! We expected God to move at camp, but for reason we didn’t expect the same thing each week, or even day in and day out. That thought changed my life, and has changed my walk with the Lord. I began to realize I can experience Jesus just has powerfully in my bedroom as I can at Big Stuf, or Passion, or any other Camp or Conference.
Another example is last year when I attended Catalyst Conference in October. Leading up to Catalyst there was just this constant prayer that was on my heart: Lord I am anxiously expecting you to do great and mighty things, because you are a great and mighty God. The day before the conference I got in a wreck that totaled my car, and it’s a miracle I didn’t get hurt. Then miracle number two, I was able to get a rental only a few hrs after the wreck had happened. I almost had decided to not go to catalyst, but I strongly felt I needed to still go. The two days I was there I can't even begin to explain to you all that God did. I am still in awe when I look back. But, that is what happens when you go with an expectation.
How do we lift our expectations? Well, I’m glad you asked:
1)Our eyes are on God who sits on a throne and is on our side!
“No eye has seen, not ear has heard, no mind has imagined what God has planned for those who love Him.” 1 Cor 2:9
Many of you maybe in a place where you think this is all there is. You use to have dreams and expectations, but now you are at a place where you think this is as good as it’s going to get. But God has a big plan for you and I. So don’t count Him out! I know there have been times in my journey with the Lord where I've wondered, why should I have any expectations that “this” is going to be any different than last time. There have also been times when my heart was so overflowing with expectation and faith that my God could do anything. God tells us in His Word to “walk by faith and not by sight.” 2 Cor 2:7.
How do you come into worship, to your quite time with the Lord, do you come with expectation?
I have two examples of how coming with expectation can change everything. I grew up attending Big Stuf Camp in Panama City,FL. It was the Church camp that my church went to every summer. Leading up to camp everyone had such expectation that they knew God was going to do something great, and every time He would blow us away. Yet, when we would come home Sunday mornings didn’t change. This got me thinking one night…God hasn’t changed, He is still worthy of our praise, so what had changed? Our expectation! We expected God to move at camp, but for reason we didn’t expect the same thing each week, or even day in and day out. That thought changed my life, and has changed my walk with the Lord. I began to realize I can experience Jesus just has powerfully in my bedroom as I can at Big Stuf, or Passion, or any other Camp or Conference.
Another example is last year when I attended Catalyst Conference in October. Leading up to Catalyst there was just this constant prayer that was on my heart: Lord I am anxiously expecting you to do great and mighty things, because you are a great and mighty God. The day before the conference I got in a wreck that totaled my car, and it’s a miracle I didn’t get hurt. Then miracle number two, I was able to get a rental only a few hrs after the wreck had happened. I almost had decided to not go to catalyst, but I strongly felt I needed to still go. The two days I was there I can't even begin to explain to you all that God did. I am still in awe when I look back. But, that is what happens when you go with an expectation.
How do we lift our expectations? Well, I’m glad you asked:
1)Our eyes are on God who sits on a throne and is on our side!
-Ps 123:1 “I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven.”
-Ps 125:1-2 “Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore”
One of my favorite quotes is from Jill McCloghry of Hillsong she said this “In this season, the circumstances haven’t changed that God is still God, and He is on the throne and He sill rules and reigns.” If you want to hear her whole story on the video below.
I remember seeing that video during a season in my life where I had to rest in that very truth. Even though I didn’t understand or at times even like the circumstance I was in, that didn’t change that God was still God and is worthy of all my praise.
2)Our lives have divine origin and our lives have divine destiny.
I don’t know about you but that just makes me about come off this here couch. You and I are not just hear because a guy and a girl decided to have a baby. God had and has a purpose for you and I being hear at this moment in time.
“…for who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this.” Esther 4:14
I remember seeing that video during a season in my life where I had to rest in that very truth. Even though I didn’t understand or at times even like the circumstance I was in, that didn’t change that God was still God and is worthy of all my praise.
2)Our lives have divine origin and our lives have divine destiny.
I don’t know about you but that just makes me about come off this here couch. You and I are not just hear because a guy and a girl decided to have a baby. God had and has a purpose for you and I being hear at this moment in time.
“…for who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this.” Esther 4:14
We are a royal priesthood. We are sons and daughters of the King of Kings. Co-Heirs with Christ. God had a purpose and reason for you and I being on the planet at the exact time we are for a reason. To further His Kingdom!!! Sorry...got a little excited! It is not by accident!!!
Eph 2:1-10 Tells us that God “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”
The God of all gods has a plan for our lives!! It is not some big mystery we have to figure out, if you diligently seek Him, don’t try put Him in a box, look at the gifts, talents, and passions God has given you, and seek first the Kingdom of God, you will know what steps to take. Sometimes it’s a step of faith not knowing what is coming but the Lord will guide you every step of the way. Trust in His sovereign hand.
3)Anything is possible!
You and I have to believe that!! That ANYTHING is possible with our God!
-1 Cor 2:9
-Eph 3:20
-2 Cor 5:7
Can I just say this ( I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!) We serve a God who does miracles and there is not a formula to it. I think about my mom. In 2008 she had a brain aneurism, and she lived and God healed her faster than the doctors thought possible. God did a miracle. I remember praying over her in the hospital bed one night, God be God! That is all I knew to say. But I have also seen my dad’s best friend since they were 8 years old die from Diabetes. There is not a formula.
If you are going to life your expectations you have to begin to believe that all things are possible with God. Believe in Miracles.
Sometimes the miracle doesn’t come in the way we think, but God always does one. At my dad’s best friend Terrain’s funereal Pastor Doug said something I will never forget. He said “Everyone was praying for a miracle, that he would get better. But God did a miracle, he took Him home where he is now in no more pain. So many times when we pray for someone to be healed or not die we are praying selfishly because we still want them here with us. God knows what is best, and if Terrain stayed here he would have been in so much pain, so God did do a miracle, He did answer prayers. He healed Terrain permanently. If just wasn’t in the way we expected.”
Tozer said this “God can do anything as easy as He can do anything else. He can speak galaxies into existence as easy as He can lift a robin from its nest.”
God loves when we look up to Him with that kind of expectation. He is all powerful.
(Heb 11:6) “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
Many people want to know why if God can do miracles, why he doesn’t sometime. And I think part of that is found in the mysteryof while Heaven and Earth are overlapping for awhile. Some people may think it’s a cop out when we say when the miracle doesn’t come “God is stronger and there is a purpose.” Some people may ask: “Well do you believe God is bigger and still has a plan or do you believe He can do miracles?” Well, it really is both.
I can tell you from personal experience GOD ALWAYS DOES A MIRACLE!
I could keep going, but I will end with this. When Jesus was in Gethsemane praying the night they took him to be crucified he could have called 72,000 angels to come and they would have, but then where would we be? There was not a miracle in Gethsemane that night, or was there? There was bigger miracle! Jesus died, and rose again, and in Him we have life.
I can sit here and honestly tell you with all that is in me that I can look at my life and say to God “You could have, but you didn’t, but you did!” He always does a miracle! Always!
So what is your attitude going to be when something amazing happens? Is it going to be shock and awe or is it going to be, "this is incredible, this is the kind of stuff you do Lord." Even though we might get a little human and get nervous when it happens we look up and go "I knew you were going to come through all along!"
Songs:
"The Day Before you" Rascal Flatts
"You are Able" Christy Nockels
"A Mighty Fortress" Christy Nockels
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