Even Greater Expectations
When you go to the circus you expect to see tigers
and clowns and trapeze artists. When you go to amusement parks you expect to
ride the roller coaster. When you go to the zoo you expect to see animals. We
have expectations about everything we do. We expect to have our expectations
met. The one place we probably have the least expectations is when we go to
church. And we wonder why very little happens there.
If we go to church expecting to sing and hear a
sermon chances are good that we won't be disappointed, but is that really all
we expect? If so we aren't giving God enough credit. When we come to church
with problems in our family, problems in our relationships, problems with our
health, financial problems should we not expect that God can help us with those
needs? If we don't believe that, our faith in God is not worth much. Either God
is God or we should quit believing in Him.
In fact God does care about us. He tells us to
bring our burdens to him so that he can help us carry them and lighten our
load. He healed all who came to him when he lived on earth. I can't think of
anyone he turned away, but he does expect us to at least ask. God never invades
our lives. He deals with us gently and with compassion, and waits to see if we
will come to him.
Why do we not see as many healings today as we read
about in the Bible? Maybe we've quit asking. Maybe we've quit expecting. May we
think about the God we believe in and may He help us to expect even more than
we often ask, and may he begin here and now in my life and yours.