Expect God To Fullfill His Promises

 

This post might be all over the place as I separate things in my head. These thoughts come from a very real need I have and I am approaching my very real God, knowing that I can. 

Expectation:

What can I expect from God? Expectation is a strong belief that something will happen. What is your expectation based on? On facts? Is your expectation resting on the past? Is your expectation based on your accomplishments?  My expectation is based on Gods promises. God promises many things besides eternal life. I expect salvation, deliverance, miracles, healings, breakthroughs, peace, provision, protection and joy. If I’m asking God to provide for me financially, I expect that he will. However, if I’m limiting God to a way, a time, a place, a specific pay or job, then I’m not basing it on his promise to provide all my needs. If I expect God to fulfill His promises, then I will completely trust him.

Entitlement: 

Entitlement is a right to a particular privilege or benefit granted by law or custom.

I am nervous to even approach the examination of this word because I’ve always seen it in a negative view, until just now. 

When I believed and accepted Christ as my Savior, this entitled me to be Gods child. His daughter! This is huge! I know that as a mother I give my children access to me and in my limited resources when they with son/daughter privilege come to me I do all that I can to help them and bless them. Now God, the omnipotent God of the universe gives me access into his kingdom?! He does. So long as my faith is in Christ, I can approach my Abba Father all day long. However, entitlement gets twisted and knotted when I believe I actually deserve all the gifts God gives me. Then follows the attitude of ungratefulness. Yes, as Gods beloved child I can ask him for anything, I can expect good from him, but what I, a sinner, deserve he doesn’t give me. Instead He gives me mercy and pulls me out of the path to hell. He gives me grace and helps me choose His Narrow Path. 

Hope

Faith is believing what I cannot see, like Almighty God.  As I seek Jesus, my God my faith grows and it fuels my hope. Now, hope sees the ugly and prays for beauty from the ashes of destruction. Faith fueled by hope will pray for the impossible, expecting God to do his good will, in his perfect time. It is only when my eyes are on the blessing, the thing I’m praying for. When I’m praying and hoping for a certain outcome, and I hold my breath until this thing happens but it doesn’t, that's when hope is deferred. At this point my hope has been placed on something. But all is not lost, God is merciful, and he helps me look past the “desired thing” to Him. When my ultimate hope is in Christ and his plan I will rest, yes rest in Gods promises. 

Then I can confidently conclude that I should expect God to fulfill his promises, as I am his daughter, part of his family and house and legally entitled to his treasures because of the sacrifice of Jesus. Therefore I will hope in God and be grateful for the Resurrection.

One Decision

                                                              The Power of a Decision


32 years ago one young girl decided to "try Jesus" and her decision which affected her life also produced a domino effect in several other lives.

That young girl was my sister Patty struggling with her place in the world and her peace in life.  She came to her decision, which grabbed my attention and everyone around her.  Her choice put her on a whole new path.  Gone were the desires for drugs and alchohol.  Gone was the insecurity of beauty.  Her countenance glowed, her speech was different.  This new path made me curious and concerned enough to look into it.

I not only looked into it,  I investigated it, zealous to keep her out of such a radical life changing decision. Then, 6 months later, after much debate and soul searching, I made the same decision.  My goodie-two shoes self experienced a radical conversion from the inside out. Life choices were all filtered on this path, I knew this is where I wanted to stay and I had a need to stay, I decided that I would stay on the Narrow Path for the rest of my life, however long that would be. I was young and single with my whole future ahead of me. 

While I was pacing myself on this narrow path, making decisions that would affect my future. I was deciding on relationships, school  and work. Everything I did was through the lens of how it would affect my relationship with Christ. Radical for sure. Meanwhile, my dear sister decided to look back at her old life; like Lots wife. This ancient story is a shocking but true story of one seemingly innocent choice. Before long Patty was lured back into her old life onto that wide path.  she spent the next twenty years making life decisions, that were costly and painful. Broken relationships, betrayal and heartbreak on that wide path of destruction. Friends that easily turned their back on her and a job that consumed her. It was a lonely life. 

Thankfully, in her time of crisis she knew where to go for help. After another costly choice, she was tired, but she did cried out to Jesus. God helped her and brought peace, hope and vision and she rested as order returned to her life.

 I wish I could tell you that everything was wonderful and perfect after that, it wasn't. Her health was not good, she had several complications and too soon she went on into eternity. MY solace is that while she can't come to me, I hope for the day I see her face in heaven. 

I don't know why life happens the way it does all the time. Thank God that her last great choice was to repent and open the door of her heart to Jesus on this side of heaven and they supped together and they've probably had many times together in heaven, in the place Jesus  prepared for her. 

Consider the decisions you make in life, they carry weight to them.  Let Jesus help you and you will be making good choices in life.