Living a Life of Expectation

In the first chapter of the Book of Habakkuk the writer cries out to God for Justice. He is perplexed as he looks around at society. He describes what he sees with words like “violence” and “destruction”. In fact he says “conflict and strife are all around me”. If there ever was a culture that it seems that strife and conflict are all around, it would have to be the times we are living in right now. I am sure that you would agree that we are living in difficult days, to say the least.

However, tucked away in the Old Testament is a short oracle written by a Prophet of God that basically describes a man’s heart cry as he looks around at the disparity he sees. But, as always, God has an answer for the cries of each of our hearts-young and old; sinner or saint. I have heard people say “If God were real, he would not allow such injustice to prevail”. I have others say if God were alive, he could not stand to see the suffering children die of hunger, AIDS, and other such tragedies.

The fact is God is very much alive and I believe his heart aches and breaks every time one of his little children sheds the smallest of tears. This is same God who knew us all even before we were created in our mother’s womb and this same God has given us a plan and a destiny for our lives (Jer 29:11). So to say that he does not care is to not understand his heart. God cares so much that he sent his son that we might have salvation and then he created you and I that we might reach out to the hurting and the less fortunate of our world. Contrary to our American Values system, God has not blessed us that we might build bigger and more robust barns, but he has blessed us that we might be vehicles and the feet by which his love and Gospel are spread to the world.

As the passage continues we find that God does answer the Prophet with an amazing choice of words. In paraphrasing, he says to him “Watch in expectation and amazement and see if I will not work on your behalf in ways that you would not believe even if I told you” WOW!! That is powerful. The reason it is so powerful is that for every wrong that we see or experience, God has something right and better for us. The problem is sometimes one of faith and perspective. I feel that when we pray, we should not pray with the motivation that we will get something when we pray, but at the same time, we should pray with the expectation that God is who he says he is and that because of that fact alone, he will answer our prayers and will provide everything we need and when we need it.

So with that said, I challenge you to live a life of Expectation and believe God for the unbelievable in your lives.

David