Expectation

Background Photo: Karama Collection

Jesus was always expectant. He gave thanks before the miracles. He knew exactly what would happen. But, like me, you might be thinking, “Of course He was...He is God.” But look at Peter in Acts 3:6-7...
Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. Acts 3:6-7 

How expectant to boldly say to the man, “rise up and walk”? Assured that God would honor it...that healing would come. There seemed to be no part of him thinking, “oh boy, what if this doesn’t work. That will be embarrassing for me, for God.”

When you pray for someone or something, how expectant are you? I’m squirmy just typing that, ready with my excuses for God, as if I need to defend Him... “it might not be His will...God may have other plans...”

And it is true that our plans might not be God’s plans. So how do we remain expectant? 

I recently read Katie Davis Majors book, Daring to Hope. She lives this so well. She experienced a season of full expectation, and the result not being what she hoped and prayed for. But still, God showed up. The miracle she expected didn’t happen according to her plans, but the expectation paid off in different ways. 

It pays to be expectant. As Christine says in her quote, it is the breeding ground for miracles.

I’m praying to be more expectant. I want to pray full of assurance, with no caveats; no doubting as soon as I ask. And not in a prosperity gospel way where God is a genie doing what I want, but in a way that is full of faith and belief in the power and goodness and promises and perfect plans of God. .
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Karama Collection is an organization that alleviates poverty by restoring dignity through creative, purposeful work for artisans, beginning in Africa.

Follow them on Instagram here.