Day 26

Week 4, Day 26: Be Expectant While Releasing Expectations - God's Ways are Higher

Psalm 27:13-14

Sometimes kids can be entitled. I know I was in some ways when I was younger. I would forget to thank my parents for the simplest things, like a home cooked meal. Instead, I would complain saying, “I didn’t want to eat this for dinner!” or “Can you get me McDonalds?” Now looking back, I am grateful. But 7 year-old me was not very pleased when he couldn’t have ice cream for breakfast. We, as Christians, are adopted as children (Galatians 4:6), and God is our Heavenly Father. As His children, we naturally have an inheritance (Ephesians 1:11). But sometimes we can become entitled in our relationship with our Heavenly Father, thinking He owes us. However, our inheritance is not about getting what we ask for, though that can be a part of it, our inheritance is Him and His unceasing goodness.

I want to ask a simple question: What are you expecting from God in this season? A miraculous healing? A prodigal to return? Maybe for the sin struggle you’ve had for a while to break? The reason I ask is because what we expect and the way in which we expect it is very important; it reveals where our hearts truly are. For example, if we believe God is distant, I doubt we will expect him to move in a mighty way. If we believe God is reluctant and picky when it comes to blessing his children, we will not approach him with confidence of his goodness. But if we believe God is truly sovereign, that He truly delights in us, and that He loves to bless His kids, we can approach with a posture of Holy expectation, knowing He will meet all our needs when we seek first His kingdom (Matthew 6:33). 

Before we continue, I want to make an important distinction between the godly expectation we as Christians are supposed to have, and the entitled expectations that can easily become affiliated with our own plans. Godly expectation is believing God is good, He is faithful, and positioning your heart to receive whatever He has for you. An example of a godly expectation is wanting to be healed of a physical ailment and saying, “God, whatever you have for me is what I want. If that means miraculous healing, thank you Lord! If it means I stay like this, thank you Lord.” Entitled expectation is believing God is good, but then twisting your expectation to say, “He owes me the outcome I want.” It is like 7 year-old me thinking because my Mom and Dad love me, they will let me have a carton of ice cream for breakfast; it is silly. An example of entitled expectation would be if I was wanting to be healed of a physical ailment and said, “God heal me right now, you have to because you are good.” Now if you are reading this and thinking, “Oh shoot! I might have some entitled expectations!” Don’t beat yourself up, reflect on your expectations, repent and give them to Gas and ask Him to help you reshape them to be Godly expectations. Then, be ready to receive whatever He has for you. He may answer your prayers in ways you never thought or dreamed. When we release our expectations, there is room for us to see how God is moving rather than focusing on our disappointment at how we perceive he is not.

We expect in faith, not because He owes us anything, we expect because we have confidence in who God is. He is a Good Father and He loves to give good gifts to His children (Matthew 7:11). The miracle can not be the focus, He must be the focus. When you bring your expectations to God, bring them with open hands.. Expect that He will move, because He will, and ask Him to give you eyes to see and a mind to understand how he is moving. After all, God loves to surprise His kids and bless them in ways they never see coming! 

Listening Prayer: Father, I need you and I want you, not because of what you have in your hand but just because of who you are.  Where have I created expectations of entitlement? Where do I need to let go of my ideas of how you meet my needs? 

Prayer: Heavenly and most perfect Father, thank you. You are wonderful in all of your ways! I love you and I adore you. Help me to know your character and know your goodness. Forgive me Jesus, for the ways I have acted entitled in my expectations toward you. Help me to have godly expectations and receive whatever you have for me. Help me to have faith that you are going to move! I know you love to give good gifts and I also know you have better plans than mine. I surrender any expectations I may have, and I yield to your plan. Thank you God that you provide ALL my needs. In Jesus name, Amen!

Resource: Bible Verses on Releasing Expectations While Remaining Expectant

Isaiah 55:8-9

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,  neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Psalm 37:3-5

“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord;  trust in him, and he will act.”

Matthew 6:25-33

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” 

Philippians 4:19

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” 

Worship Songs: 

My Reward - UPPERROOM