Big and Good Expectations

Have you ever been waiting for something, whether in the mail or from someone, and when it finally arrived it wasn't what you thought it was going to be?  Did you feel like your expectations had been let down?  The other side of that, have you ever received something and it was better than what you had thought?  How did you feel about that?

I recently received (at a nominal charge) the new BlackBerry Torch from my wireless provider.  I remember when I first saw an advertisement for this cell phone how I thought to myself, nice ... but is it as really as good as these people were claiming?  So I read the reviews and did some homework on this little device and they all seemed pretty positive.  I decided to upgrade my phone (thanks to the unmentioned wireless provider) and the wait began.  I have to admit, I felt a bit like a kid at Christmas (by the way, there are only 70 days until that wonderful day arrives in case you're wondering) and the anticipation of something new was quite exhilarating. I even made the mistake of ordering the phone on the Thursday of a long weekend so it didn't wind up arriving until Tuesday.  Hey ... I never claimed to be the sharpest knife in the drawer.

So I have my new phone.  I have to say (shameless plug for the BlackBerry Torch) that I am extremely impressed with this new phone.  It has met and exceeded my expectations however, it is just a phone.

I've been personally challenged lately in my personal walk with God about my expectations.  There have been a couple of things on my heart when it comes to this:
1. That there would be a sense of excitement when I think about what God desires to offer me and
2. That there would be a great expectancy of what God is going to do.

I want to go back to my Christmas analogy from earlier.  How many times do we lose the excitement of serving God?  How many times do we find ourselves in dry spells of life where we are left wondering what happened to the excitement of a loving God?  In the book of Lamentations, we are reminded in verses 3:22-24 that "God's loyal love couldn't have run out, his merciful love couldn't have dried up.  They're created new every morning.  How great your faithfulness!  I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over). He's all I've got left."(The Message).  Our relationship with Christ should not be stale.  We should have a daily refreshing of God's mercy EVERY DAY!  That is like getting a Christmas present every morning!  How can that be boring?  How can that be stale?  There is excitement in our relationship with God!  If we are not excited in our Christian walk, are we really walking like a Christian?

I believe the other part of our excitement is directly related to our expectancy.  Think of it this way, at Christmas we have this expectancy of receiving good gifts.  When Christmas comes and we open the gifts, we either have great joy or the opportunity to re-gift.  But with God, there is never a bad gift that comes from God.  James says, "Don't be deceived, my dear brothers.  Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."(James 1:16-17).  We need to expect good gifts from our Heavenly Father who loves us.

But we also need to get a grasp on increasing our expectancy for God's moving in our lives.  In Ephesians, Paul states "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."  Think about that for a second ... "who is able" ... Do you know that God is able?  Do you know that God has the ability to meet your need?  But it is not just partly meeting, it is "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine".

But are we only believing/asking for a partly or are we believing/asking for a complete request?  What are you believing God for today?  Are you believing for a healing in your body?  Are you believing for a loved one who is not following Christ to find relationship with God?  Are you believing for debt to be cancelled?  Are you believing for a job or promotion?  Are you believing for a restored relationship?  In any or all of those questions, are you believing for God "who is able to do immeasurably more than all [you] ask or imagine' to fully meet those requests?

So as I enjoy my phone as cool as it is, the novelty will soon wear off.  However, God blows my mind away every day with His goodness and mercy!  That is exciting and I wait with the biggest bucket that I can find for all that my God is going to do!  That's the best gift ever!