Have An Expectant Heart
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
When a letter arrived in Finlay Glen’s letterbox in London in 2021, he was surprised to see a stamp with King George V’s head in the top-right corner. He was even more surprised when he noticed the date on the envelope - 6th February 1916. The letter, they later discovered, was written by Christabel Mennell while she was on holiday in Bath. Christabel Mennell and her family belonged to the Religious Society of Friends, better known as the Quakers. The letter was addressed to her friend, Katie Marsh, also a Quaker.
In her letter, Christabel asks Katie for advice on how to deal with a delicate matter. A matter she was ashamed of. It seems she had said something inappropriate during a Quaker gathering, also known as the Circle. However, the letter never reached its destination. When Christabel posted the letter, she expected it to be delivered the next day. She also expected her friend, Katie, to respond. But as we now know, Katie never received the letter.
Expectant Faith
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we ought to live with expectancy. We ought to expect God to act on our behalf when we pray. We ought to expect God’s presence with us as we go about our daily business. The attitude of our heart should be one of expectancy, of anticipation, ready to receive from His hand.
My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. Psalm 62:5 (NKJV)
In this psalm, David boldly declared that He expected God to come and save him. David expected God to do this because he trusted in God’s character. He trusted in His immovable, steadfast character that he had seen displayed in His life before. He trusted in His unfailing love, compassion, omnipotence and faithfulness. What He did for David, He also did for others in their impossible situations.
God displayed His character when He miraculously parted the Red Sea so the Israelites could escape Pharaoh's tyranny. He did it for Daniel when He protected him in the Lion’s den. He did it for Joshua when the walls of Jericho fell at His command. He did it for the widow and her son when He multiplied the oil and flour so they wouldn’t starve. He did it when Jesus healed the sick and drove out demons.
God’s character never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Therefore, we can trust Him. We can trust our prayers to reach their destination, God’s throne of grace, not in a hundred years, but immediately. We can trust Him to respond to our prayers as we put our faith in Him and His immovable, steadfast character. As we put our confident hope and expectant faith in our sovereign God, the One who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17).
True faith rests upon the character of God and asks no further proof than the moral perfections of the One who cannot lie. Aiden Wilson Tozer
Reflection:
Are you living with an expectant faith?
Prayer:
Thank You, Lord, that You are a faithful God. I pray that the attitude of my heart will be one of expectancy as I wait for You to display Your immovable, steadfast character in my life. As I wait for You to move mightily in my situation. In Jesus’ name, amen.
