Albert Einstein..“Your expectations are the preview of your life’s coming attractions.”
Jim Rohn…“If you don’t have great expectations for your own life, chances are you’ll end up living with someone else’s, and guess what they have planned for you? Not much.”
E.E. cummings… “It takes courage to expect to becomeall that you should be.” Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of all that diligently seek Him”..
You can have Faith without expectation but you can’t have Expectation without Faith. Your expectation is your God given ability to put a demand on your future. Your expectation connects you to a supernatural interventionwherever you are in your present life. Those interventions are what we call “miracles”.
Proverbs 23:18 “For surely there is an end; and yourexpectation shall not be cut off (or disappointed).”
Expectation is the fertile breeding ground for miracles. In order to receive from the Lord, we must expect Him to show up and demonstrate what He has promised in our lives. Without a fervent sense of expectancy, all we are doing is taking part in religious exercise that has no power behind it. An atheist was complaining to a Christian, “You Christians have special holidays, such as Christmas and Easter. Jews celebrate their national holidays, such as Passover and Yom Kippur. But we atheists have no recognized national holidays, It’s unfair discrimination.His friend told him, “Why sure you have your own holiday, I can’t believe you don’t celebrate it, it’s April Fool’s day!”
Your outcomes in life will not just be according to your prayers, your faith, and your confessions but also according to your expectation. If your prayers, faith and confessions are right but your expectation is wrong, your outcome will end up wrong, since the Bible says that your expectation shall not be disappointed.
2 Timothy 3:5, For many have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof, avoid this in your own life”…That’s about our level of expectation…
When I was a kid growing up in the farm country of Virginia, I loved to go over to the train tracks that ran through our area, and put pennies on the track. I knew that when that great, powerful, train hit that penny on the track, it would forever change it’s very nature and shape. I had a collection of coins that had been transformed by that train. My expectations moved me to action, and the results brought transformation to every coin I placed on the tracks. Listen there’s something coming.that is greater and more powerful than that train. It’s the train of God’s glory, and if you’ll get your stuffon the track, transformation is about to happen…
How about…Philippians 4:19 “My God shall supply all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus”.
And then there’s Ephesians 3:16 “I declare that out of his glorious riches he shall strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being”.
And let’s believe Philippians 2:10 “At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, all things in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue shall acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”. - .Daniel would have been fast food if he faced the lions with only a form of godliness but he put his expectations on God’s faithfulness…
The three Hebrews would have been Krispy Kritters if they faced the furnace with a faith which had no expectation….but they put their trust in the king above all kings.
Noah would have been fish food, without the expectation that God could make the impossible possible, but he put action to his faith and saved his entire household.
Moses would have been unable to locate the exit door from Egypt, without expectant faith in a liberating God who breaks every chain…. But he led them out with expectation and they went out, loaded with the wealth of Egypt,
There was a little woman in Jesus time, that got excited about Malachi 4:2 “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings…” You see, the little woman with the issue of blood, pushed through the crowd to Jesus, because she believed Jesus was the fulfillment of Malachi. She understood that the Tzitzi (Seet-seets) or tassels that hung from the Tallit, which was the Jewish name for Jesus’ prayer shawl, and the two sides of the shawl were referred to as “the wings”. Her faith caused her to expect that something would happen when she touched “the wings”. So she decided I don’t care what the people say or do, I’m expecting a life changing event to take place when I touch the fringe of His prayer shawl. She said, If I can touch Him, I shall be made whole….
Your miracle is at the mercy of your mouth. Don’t use your mouth to describe your situation. Use your mouth, like the little woman, to declare your expectation – Romans 10:11 “For the scripture says, Whosoever believes on Him shall not be ashamed.”
A new pastor in a small Midwestern town had done all he knew how to fill up the church and get it to thrive, but the church remained mostly empty. The church had been a presence in the community for decades, so when the pastor placed a notice in the local newspapers, stating that because the church was just taking up space, it was everyone’s duty to give it a decent Christian burial. The funeral would be held the following Sunday afternoon, the notice stated. Well, a large crowd turned out for the “funeral.” In front of the pulpit, they saw a closed coffin. After the pastor delivered the eulogy, he opened the coffin and invited his congregation to come forward and pay their final respects to the dead church. Filled with curiosity as to what was in the coffin, all the people lined up to look into the coffin. Each “mourner” peeped into the coffin then quickly turned with a guilty, look. There, in the coffin, tilted at the correct angle, was a large mirror which reflected each observers face! Everyone had expectations, they expected someone else to do everything. It’s the Twilight Zone of Excuses!
Usually we have low expectations because we have great excuses…
Someone has said that excuses are like belly buttons, everyone has one.
Can you say… “Hung by the tongue”…..We start getting results when we stop giving excuses. Jesus shared a parable about excuses that keep us from expecting His best….
Luke 14:16 Jesus said: "A certain king was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ’Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ’I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’
19 "Another said, ’I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 "Still another said, ’I just got married, so I can’t come.’ 21 "The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the Master of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ’Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ 22 "’Sir,’ the servant said, ’what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ 23 "Then the master told his servant, ’Go out to the highways and country lanes and compel them come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who made excuses will get a taste of my banquet.’"
They were personally invited to the king’s palace to eat at the king’s table. Instead they made excuses… that’s insane!! We insult God when we have a low level of expectation. When He tells us what He has prepared for us, but we come up with these lame excuses….WHY….
Well, the three excuses people used with the king, that kept them from fulfilling God’s expectations are prevalent today in our society 2000 years later...
1st. is Work, I have bought oxen and need to work them….Your work is what you do, don’t let it become who you are….
2nd. Is Money “I Bought a field and must check on my investment” You better control your money or it will control you!
3rd. is Family and relationships“ I Got married” (well, bring that gal to the king’s table) Notice in all three areas, the king’s expectations were blocked by their expectations.
The truth is, King Jesus has greater expectations about us than we do about Him!
Seek first the kingdom and all these other things shall be added unto you…..
We are told in the scripture record, that Jesus went to one city and came away saying he was not able to do much there because of their unbelief—because of their low expectation. I don’t know about others, but I’m on my way to the Banquet!!!
God is faithful to finish what he has begun in you, and fulfill the great work He has established when He redeemed you, called you, and anointed you. He’s expecting great things from His redeemed people in the earth because He paid such a high price and made such a tremendous investment to redeem, supply and equip us….
Expectation will open some doors and closeothers…..Expectation will motivate and mobilize you….Expectation will stabilize you and keep you focused…..Expectation will energize you to press on into victory….You will push past fear, push past doubt, push past people and mind sets which rise up in resistance….WePraise and worship in expectation. We sow our tithe and offering seeds in expectation. We pray in expectation. We declare and confess the promises in God’s word and we Expect miracles!
Colossians 2:14 says “He blotted out the ordinance against us, He took it out of the way, and nailed it to the cross”. You can have great expectation because there is nothing between you and your miracle. He has removed the obstacles, and the “False Evidence Appearing Real” out of the way and nailed it to the cross, so that we can be on our tip toes with expectation, believing that God is ready to do something in our world today.
1 John 3:2 “Beloved, we are now children of God, and it doth not yet appear what we will be for it has not yet been revealed”. We are not designed by a cookie cutter God. But, it’s easier to go along with the contented masses, and flow with the prevailing currents of society, than to rise above them and find your identity at a higher plane.
It is easier to imitate rather than to motivate and initiate. It is easier to be like the carbon copy, rather than be singled out as being original, different and unique. It’s easier to go along with the thoughts of the many rather than develop your own thinking and set of life values according to the Word of God.
The Devil is not concerned with what you used to be, the Devil is not concerned with what you are. He is horrified when you start expecting what God says you can be!
1 John tells us…THERE’S SOMETHING THAT HASN’T APPEARED YET!! I'm on my tip toes in expectation, something is coming. This isn’t all there is…Hallelujah.
Your greatest miracles are not behind you. Don't look back, look ahead. Your biggest miracles are not behind you, and that's why you need to start expecting, and understand that something is going to happen that you've not seen yet. God's done great things for you, but that's not all He's got….He’s got so much more!
Hebrews 6:10 "For God, Is not unrighteous to forget your labor of love". For God to forget your seed, He would have to be unrighteous, and that is impossible. It is impossible for God to forget what He's promised you. And so, the only question is, are you expecting it? Look at your neighbor and say, "Are you expecting?
Yes, Expect to be healed, Expect to be filled, Expect to be lifted and helped, Expect to be blessed, delivered, and freed. EXPECT A MIRACLE!!.
Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceedingabundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Hallelujah The level of our expectation should be measured by God’s ability. If God has the ability to do something, we should be expecting Him to do it…. He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that is now working in us…
When John’s disciple’s wanted to give validation to John about Jesus ministry…. Jesus sent them to Him inMatthew 11: 4 “Jesus told them, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and good news is preached to the poor”. If I am going to raise my expectation according to God’s ability, I need to investigate that ability and see just what kind of ability it is. It is resurrection ability. That means He raises the dead, I mean, come on, what could be difficult for Him after that. I can’t think of anything harder than raising a man from the dead. If He can raise a man thing you could think of and goes from there….He says “I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live”!
Paul is telling the Ephesian believers, in Ephesians 3,“oh, you are aiming way too low! God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you ask or can even imagine, even think”.
When our expectations are established on God’s ability, we can replace every fear, worry, and doubt about the future with faith, love, and expectation that never fails.
We can see God bringing every enemy under our feet as we rest in Jesus’ finished work. Make sure you don’t hook your faith to temporary things….or it will affect your expectations…
We can reign with confidence over defeat, lack, sickness and all demonic opposition.
It’s an expectation that declares “All things are working together for my good, because I am called according to His purposes and I am seeking first His glory”.
Expectation is a reflection of what we believe about God, about ourselves and about others.
When things aren’t happening, our expectations cause us to examine if something is out of harmony or perhaps this is a blessing in disguise. Perhaps there is a lesson somewhere in the situation that God wants us to learn. Perhaps this is an area that we need to put under our feet and begin to rule over. The bottom line is that a person who lives in the God kind of faith, is able to applythat expectation so God’s goodness can enshroud themand envelope them wherever they go and whatever they do. Here’s a powerful scripture…
Job 29:14 “I clothed myself in righteousness, (right-minded, in right standing, honorable, upright,) and it enveloped me, my just decisions were like a robe and a turban (It covered me)” Think of it this way, when your expectations are in line with the God kind of faith, you are enveloped…. Now when you mail a letter, youenvelope it… you put it in an envelope and completely cover it, hide it, shield it, protect it…
Then you put a seal (we now put a stamp on it), which means it is qualified to reach it’s appointed destination. Then you declare on the envelope where it is to go, and you take it to the delivery system or post office.
Think of yourself as that letter……(we are written epistles) Job says. We are enveloped, (placed in a protective shield, hidden from the enemy, and covered by the blood of Jesus. Our faith expectations, place a destination on the envelope, and we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, which is the down payment of guarantee, or the stamp… the cost of delivery has been paid.
Then God gives it to His delivery system, (His angels) the heavenly messenger delivery system, to bring it to it’s appointed destination and fulfillment….. Hallelujah!
It gives a fresh meaning to the term “He’s got you covered”…
Here’s a few things to bring it all into the realm of faith expectations in our lives… Solomon calls it “directing your path” in Prov. 3:6
Get your purpose and goal clear as you pray, study God’s word and fill your mind with right thinking….
Determine to be a purpose driven child of God, instead of a pleasure driven stranger and maverick in God’s kingdom…
Identify what kind of person you believe that God wantsyou to be… then begin to form the kind of daily habits that align with your faith identity….
Find people who can believe with you and share your views and walk it out together with them
Look for things that affirm your beliefs and speak and focus on those things
Accept what comes your way as stepping stones, boundary lines, wisdom lessons, and building blocks for your future…
Don’t judge by what you see now, but judge by what you expect in your future.
And oh, by the way…Someday is not an actual day of the week!!! START NOW!
Expectations are something, we all have. But in the midst of all our looking for what we expect, how many of us really truly take the time to ask what God expects from us. There are incredible hopes, dreams and plans that He has in mind for each one of us. In Christ we have…A love that can never be fathomed…..A life that can never die:…. A righteousness that is not of this world…A peace that can never be understood…. A rest that can never be disturbed….A joy that can never be diminished….A hope that can never be disappointed….A glory that can never be extinguished…A happiness that can never be interrupted….and Resources that can never be exhausted…..AND ALL OF THAT, has no expiration date!
A little boy constantly fell out of bed and ended up sleeping on the floor. He just couldn’t seem to stay on his bed. His parents asked him why he thought he kept falling out of bed. The little fellow thought for a moment and then said, “I think its because I stay too close to the place where I get in.” God expects us to grow past the place where we got in. believe that you will thrive, not just survive….Move on in, don’t stay on the edge, begin to raise the level of your expectation!
I close with a scripture….
Ephesians 3:18 is your new marching orders…..”That we may be able to comprehend (expect) with all saints, the breadth, and length, and depth, and height v9 And to know the love of Christ, which surpasses all knowledge, that you might (expect to be) filled with all the fullness of God. v20 Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, (and expect) according to the power that is now working in us, v21 Unto Him (we are expecting) glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Lord, lift our expectations that they may be according to your ability….It is not by might, nor by power, but by the spirit of the Lord, that we shall see over and above what we could think or imagine!
It’s not going to be like all the other times, this time water will flow out of the rock, the lion’s mouth will be shut, the fire will be quenched, the loaves and fish will be multiplied, the healing will be established, the family will come under his lordship, things will turn around for the better, provision is coming, light is conquering darkness, the enemy must flee in Jesus name.
We expect it, we receive it!
