What Do You Expect?
Type your new text here.
The Power of Expectations: What Do You Really Believe About God?
We navigate our days filled with expectations, often without realizing it. When we ask someone to complete a task, we expect them to follow through. When they do, trust builds. When they don't, doubt creeps in. This cycle of expectation and fulfillment shapes every relationship we have—with our colleagues, our family members, our friends.
But what about our relationship with God?
The question that demands our honest attention is this: What do we truly expect from God? Do we believe He will keep His promises, or have we lowered our expectations to protect ourselves from disappointment?
God's Promises Are Not Empty Words
Scripture is filled with declarations of what God intends for His people. In Jeremiah 29:11-13, we encounter one of the most beloved passages in the Bible: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you."
Read those words again slowly. God says He has plans—specific, intentional plans. These plans are for prosperity, not harm. They include hope and a future. And when we call on Him, He promises to listen.
But do we believe it?
The challenge isn't whether God is faithful. The challenge is whether we trust Him enough to have high expectations of His faithfulness.
When Expectations Crumble
Life has a way of teaching us to lower our expectations. We've been hurt by people we trusted. We've prayed prayers that seemed to bounce off the ceiling. We've watched circumstances unfold in ways that made us question whether God was truly working for our good.
Like children who learn caution after being disappointed, we build walls around our hearts. We tell ourselves it's safer not to expect too much. That way, we won't be devastated when things don't work out.
Yet this protective mechanism has a cost. When we lower our expectations of God, we stop praying with boldness. We stop reading His Word with anticipation. We stop worshiping with abandon. Our entire spiritual life becomes muted, colored by doubt rather than faith.
The Beatitudes: A Portrait of Divine Expectation
In Matthew 5:1-12, Jesus delivers the Beatitudes—a series of blessings that reveal God's heart toward His people. Each blessing comes with a promise:
These aren't vague spiritual platitudes. They're specific commitments from a God who sees us in our weakness and promises to meet us there.
The Trust Factor
Trust develops through relationship. When we first meet someone, we keep our guard up. As they prove trustworthy over time, we open up. We share more. We become vulnerable.
The same dynamic applies to our relationship with God. If we don't know Him well, it's natural to struggle with trust. The solution isn't to pretend we trust when we don't. God already knows our hearts. He knows our doubts, our fears, our hesitations.
The solution is to dare to be vulnerable enough to get to know Him better.
This requires reading His Word—not out of obligation, but with genuine curiosity about who He is. It means praying honestly, sharing our real thoughts and feelings rather than sanitized religious language. It means paying attention to how He shows up in our daily lives.
As we invest in knowing God, something shifts. We begin to recognize His voice. We notice His faithfulness in small things. Our expectations naturally rise because we're building a history with Someone who proves Himself trustworthy.
How Expectations Shape Everything
Our expectations of God influence far more than we realize. They affect our worship—do we come expecting to encounter God, or just going through motions? They affect our prayer life—do we ask boldly, believing God hears and responds, or do we pray halfheartedly, doubting anything will change?
Our expectations even affect how we share our faith. When we're excited about who God is and what He's done in our lives, that enthusiasm is contagious. Others sense our genuine belief and become curious. But when we communicate low expectations—"God's okay, I guess"—we shouldn't be surprised when people aren't interested.
People who don't attend church often know enough about Christianity to have expectations of Christians. They expect us to reflect the character of Christ. When our lives don't match our words, when we claim to follow God but show little evidence of trusting Him, our low expectations become visible to everyone around us.
Holding God to His Promises
There's a beautiful boldness that comes from knowing God's promises. Jeremiah 33:3 records God saying, "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things that you do not know."
This isn't presumption. It's faith. When we remind God of what He's promised—not because He's forgotten, but because we're anchoring ourselves in His Word—we're exercising biblical faith.
God invites this kind of relationship. He's not intimidated by our questions, our struggles, or even our doubts. He's patient with our humanity. That's why His promises address us in our weakness—when we're mourning, when we're hungry, when we're persecuted.
Raising Your Expectations
If you find yourself with low expectations of God, you're not alone. Many believers struggle here. The good news is that God wants to meet you in that place of doubt and gradually build your trust.
Start small. Begin reading Scripture with fresh eyes, asking God to reveal Himself to you. Pray honestly about your doubts. Take note when prayers are answered, even in unexpected ways. Share your journey with others who have strong faith—their stories can encourage yours.
Remember that prosperity doesn't always mean financial wealth. God's plans to prosper you might include deep relationships, peace in difficult circumstances, wisdom for complex decisions, or spiritual growth that transforms your character.
The invitation stands: expect much of God, and watch how He responds. Trust that He has good plans for you. Believe that He listens when you pray. Dare to hope that His promises are true.
What do you expect of God today?
We navigate our days filled with expectations, often without realizing it. When we ask someone to complete a task, we expect them to follow through. When they do, trust builds. When they don't, doubt creeps in. This cycle of expectation and fulfillment shapes every relationship we have—with our colleagues, our family members, our friends.
But what about our relationship with God?
The question that demands our honest attention is this: What do we truly expect from God? Do we believe He will keep His promises, or have we lowered our expectations to protect ourselves from disappointment?
God's Promises Are Not Empty Words
Scripture is filled with declarations of what God intends for His people. In Jeremiah 29:11-13, we encounter one of the most beloved passages in the Bible: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you."
Read those words again slowly. God says He has plans—specific, intentional plans. These plans are for prosperity, not harm. They include hope and a future. And when we call on Him, He promises to listen.
But do we believe it?
The challenge isn't whether God is faithful. The challenge is whether we trust Him enough to have high expectations of His faithfulness.
When Expectations Crumble
Life has a way of teaching us to lower our expectations. We've been hurt by people we trusted. We've prayed prayers that seemed to bounce off the ceiling. We've watched circumstances unfold in ways that made us question whether God was truly working for our good.
Like children who learn caution after being disappointed, we build walls around our hearts. We tell ourselves it's safer not to expect too much. That way, we won't be devastated when things don't work out.
Yet this protective mechanism has a cost. When we lower our expectations of God, we stop praying with boldness. We stop reading His Word with anticipation. We stop worshiping with abandon. Our entire spiritual life becomes muted, colored by doubt rather than faith.
The Beatitudes: A Portrait of Divine Expectation
In Matthew 5:1-12, Jesus delivers the Beatitudes—a series of blessings that reveal God's heart toward His people. Each blessing comes with a promise:
- Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
- Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
- Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
These aren't vague spiritual platitudes. They're specific commitments from a God who sees us in our weakness and promises to meet us there.
The Trust Factor
Trust develops through relationship. When we first meet someone, we keep our guard up. As they prove trustworthy over time, we open up. We share more. We become vulnerable.
The same dynamic applies to our relationship with God. If we don't know Him well, it's natural to struggle with trust. The solution isn't to pretend we trust when we don't. God already knows our hearts. He knows our doubts, our fears, our hesitations.
The solution is to dare to be vulnerable enough to get to know Him better.
This requires reading His Word—not out of obligation, but with genuine curiosity about who He is. It means praying honestly, sharing our real thoughts and feelings rather than sanitized religious language. It means paying attention to how He shows up in our daily lives.
As we invest in knowing God, something shifts. We begin to recognize His voice. We notice His faithfulness in small things. Our expectations naturally rise because we're building a history with Someone who proves Himself trustworthy.
How Expectations Shape Everything
Our expectations of God influence far more than we realize. They affect our worship—do we come expecting to encounter God, or just going through motions? They affect our prayer life—do we ask boldly, believing God hears and responds, or do we pray halfheartedly, doubting anything will change?
Our expectations even affect how we share our faith. When we're excited about who God is and what He's done in our lives, that enthusiasm is contagious. Others sense our genuine belief and become curious. But when we communicate low expectations—"God's okay, I guess"—we shouldn't be surprised when people aren't interested.
People who don't attend church often know enough about Christianity to have expectations of Christians. They expect us to reflect the character of Christ. When our lives don't match our words, when we claim to follow God but show little evidence of trusting Him, our low expectations become visible to everyone around us.
Holding God to His Promises
There's a beautiful boldness that comes from knowing God's promises. Jeremiah 33:3 records God saying, "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things that you do not know."
This isn't presumption. It's faith. When we remind God of what He's promised—not because He's forgotten, but because we're anchoring ourselves in His Word—we're exercising biblical faith.
God invites this kind of relationship. He's not intimidated by our questions, our struggles, or even our doubts. He's patient with our humanity. That's why His promises address us in our weakness—when we're mourning, when we're hungry, when we're persecuted.
Raising Your Expectations
If you find yourself with low expectations of God, you're not alone. Many believers struggle here. The good news is that God wants to meet you in that place of doubt and gradually build your trust.
Start small. Begin reading Scripture with fresh eyes, asking God to reveal Himself to you. Pray honestly about your doubts. Take note when prayers are answered, even in unexpected ways. Share your journey with others who have strong faith—their stories can encourage yours.
Remember that prosperity doesn't always mean financial wealth. God's plans to prosper you might include deep relationships, peace in difficult circumstances, wisdom for complex decisions, or spiritual growth that transforms your character.
The invitation stands: expect much of God, and watch how He responds. Trust that He has good plans for you. Believe that He listens when you pray. Dare to hope that His promises are true.
What do you expect of God today?
Recent
Archive
2025
2024
January
August
September
November
December
Categories
no categories
No Comments