Expectations

Have you ever felt disappointed because things did not turn out the way you expected? At some point, we have all had expectations about people, situations, and even about God. Expectations can be a source of hope, but they can also become a trap that steals our peace and pulls us away from God's will when they are not fulfilled.

We live in a culture that constantly pushes us to expect more: more success, more comfort, more recognition. And when those expectations are not met, frustration, discouragement, and even doubt arise.

Today I want to invite you to reflect, in the light of the Word, on what expectations are in our hearts. Are they expectations born of faith, or of our own desires? Are they aligned with God's will, or are they built on our own insecurities and human longings? Do you know what God's expectations are for us to come into His presence?

According to the dictionary, expectation is waiting for something to happen in order to fulfill our desire. It is the hope, dream, or anticipation of accomplishing or fulfilling a particular purpose.

Let us meditate on Micah 6:6–8 (NIV)

"With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the Most High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? O man, He has shown you what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: only to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

"With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

With what do you come before the Lord? With burnt offerings? Obviously, today we do not offer burnt offerings or sacrifice animals, but perhaps you see things such as praying, reading the Bible, fasting, going to church, giving offerings, or supporting missionary work as sacrifices. Let us remember what 1 Samuel 15:22 says: "Does the Lord delight as much in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Surely, to OBEY is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams."

It seems that the people of Israel in the book of Micah were willing to give anything material, but not what the Lord was truly seeking: our hearts, our OBEDIENCE. That is what verse 8 says: Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.

1. Do justice

God calls us to live according to His will in every area of our lives. Our lives should be founded on God's will and not on our own desires. To do justice is to always do what is right according to what God's Word teaches us. It is to act as God would act. Are you living according to God's will, or are you still following your own?

2. Love mercy

Hosea 6:6 says, "For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." We see how the Lord continues to emphasize that He is not looking at our supposed sacrifices; He does not want them. The Lord wants mercy and an intimate, personal knowledge of Him, not merely intellectual knowledge. To know God is to obey His commandments. In Hebrew, mercy conveys the idea of faithfulness; the word hesed includes the idea of steadfast, constant love. This is what the Lord is seeking from us: an attitude of the heart that is expressed through outward actions.

3. Walk humbly with God

Humility is the attitude that recognizes one's proper place as a servant of God. It is the opposite of presumption or pride. A humble person recognizes their dependence on God. To walk humbly with God is to live by God's Word and not by our own. It is to pay attention to God's will rather than our own desires. It is to turn our eyes to God as a servant looks to his master, seeking guidance, approval, and correction. To walk humbly with God is to recognize that He is God, not us. He is Lord; we are servants. He is sovereign; we are His subjects.

These are the things God is expecting from us; these are His expectations. Are your expectations aligned with God's expectations?

Let us pray that the Lord will always be our priority.