In a dark and threatening hour many who know God and even some who just know of Him will look to Him remembering that He's there. Some will cry out in the agony of their spirit hoping desperately for God's intervention, others in hopeful exploration - just hoping that He may be real and able to meet some urgent need. Some may accuse God of not answering and others may discount Him entirely if they don't receive the desperately needed answer, when the responsible party - the truth of the matter, may well live within our own skin...
When we find ourselves asking God for anything it may be good to keep a few things in mind. For instance it may be one thing to ask an intimate friend for a large investment of themselves in a moment of our personal desperation and an entirely different thing to ask the same from a stranger. It may be one thing to call on a party to honor a covenant or contract that they've entered into with us and an entirely different thing to call on a party to honor a contract that they're not obligated to honor. It may be one thing to expect a party to honor a covenant or contract that they've entered into with us when we're compliant with its terms and another when we're in default of the agreement and thereby nullify the other party's obligation. It may be one thing to request a reward from a good parent for good behavior and another to request a reward from a good parent for bad behavior.
It may help our understanding to realize that we can put ourselves and our requests to God in the context of those situations that I've mentioned. The bible is full of information about God, how to enter into real relationship with Him, His covenants and promises, His terms and who He is. Without knowing and honoring these things, without knowing Him, without entering into true and intimate relationship with Him and without meeting His terms... it could be a foolish expectation to demand or request anything from Him and sit waiting for a response.
God unfailingly honors what He's said. Truly knowing Him, what He's said, what His terms are and meeting those terms as He's offered them are prerequisites to our being allowed to have any expectations of Him. He is after all the God that we are not and His expectations are clear. We are not The Master. If we are to live the life that He intended - in close relationship with Him, the answers are in what He's made available for us to know. It's our duty to surrender our stubborn will to learn and comply - meeting Him on His terms. If not, we need not be surprised to find that our expectations of Him are nothing short of foolish.
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15
There are prerequisites to knowing God and to the beautiful promises that He's made. Knowing both Him and them and surrendering to honor both are key to our just expectations of Him. Just knowing of Him and what He's promised won't get us what we most desire. It's a deep desire of my heart that you find Him on His terms - surrendering to meet Him as He requires and that you find the fulfillment of all that He's promised in your life and hereafter.
"...Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:12-13 (NKJ)
Submitting to honor God and what He's said, as He's said it - intentionally, not just with casual and occasional observance, are the keys to having any justified expectation of His fruitful engagement in our lives. Having done that... we should live expectantly.
"No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8 (NLT)
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