Abraham Lincoln once said, "The best thing about the future is that it only comes once." We know that in life there are uncertainties and then there are EXPECTATIONS. When we were growing up we were expected to learn all that we can from our parents so that we could be successful. When we started going to school we were expected to listen to the teacher, attend classes and do homework in order to be successful. Many of us are in school and many of us work, no matter which one it is, we are expected to do it in order to accomplish our goals. Notice: all these steps in life are expectations leading to success. Without expectation, though, there is no reaching. Without knowledge there is no teaching.
This brings us to the topic of this week's Meditation Moments, "Living Up To The Expectation." God has expectations for us to live up to. This topic has been inspired by my favorite passage of scripture, Philippians 4:13, Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ Who Strengthens Me." Paul had gone many trials, but before he even started preaching he was a killer of the ones that proclaimed the name of Christ. The same Christ that he passionately persecuted was the same Christ that he passionately preached about. He was imprisoned for preaching the Word of Christ. Now, to many of us, we would have expected him to falter under the pressure and keep with the "woe is me" attitude (like we do oftentimes) but Paul did what God expected him to do. He kept a positive spiritual attitude, was singing and praying in the prison with Silas in Philippi and saved a whole household, the Philippian jailor and his family.
You see, Jesus reminded us that we would have tribulation, he encouraged us through his brother James to "count it all joy in tribulation." He promised us that our victory is already His. So what are His expectations for us? He expects us to have a strong prayer life which shows our trust in Him. He expects us to show our faith through our actions when we function in our circle of life. He expects us to recognize the hope we have of heaven because Jesus died, was buried and rose again. Our expectation should be to do all that we can to fulfill His promises so that we could be with Him in heaven with all the righteous. Its not easy but it is possible, "all things are possible with Him." He makes things more certain and gives us full assurance. God didn't create us without expectation but He also didn't leave us without promise of reward for being ever-pleasing to Him. LET'S LIVE UP TO GOD'S EXPECTATIONS, HE EXPECTS GREATER THAN WE EXPECT OF OURSELVES!!!
You did it AGAIN! This weeks meditation moment is so clear and extremely encouraging. Our Father in Heaven knows it's not easy, but like you said HE knows it's possible, and it's possible because HE sent HIS son to die for our sins, so that we might have an advocate and every opportunity to live with HIM at the end of time. It's a beautiful thing. Doing my best to live right, according to HIS standards gives me a joy and peace that I cannot find anywhere else. People might look at me and judge me based on what they think they know, or what they might see. But I am a new creature in Christ. Forget what you heard or may see. Yes I have sinned and my son is a result of that. We all have sinned and fallen, but it's not the sin that matters to God once you have repented, HE cares more about how you live once HE's thrown your sins into the Sea of Forgetfulness. Are you doing what you can to live right DAILY in the sight of God or are you wavering and being stagnant? Our Father is a forgiving God, but He is also a jealous God. We ought to live our lives pleasing HIM and allowing HIM to be the center of our lives.
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