Miracle Expectations

Sunday’s Monday 07-29-18

Bitter sweet week for me! This week my little buddy and youngest grandson Adam Findley who was my handyman partner for the summer, has had to quit to go back to school. It has been the best summer for me in a long time, he taught me a lot and I will miss his help. God arranged for me to meet an old school mate that I haven’t seen in 50 years. We plan to meet again soon to riminess over old times. Thank you, Lord, for divine appointments.

God gave me a challenge this week, He placed the thought of expectation and miracles in my mind. I felt Him ask me to examine my idea of expectations, such as what is my expectation of life or what do I expect from Him, from people and (the big one for me) what do I expect from me. In retrospect, I see that my expectations could have been likened to a thermometer as they rise and fall reacting to current conditions. Most of my expectations were self-motivated, self-ambitious and self-destructive, which made for a disheartening life. Oh sure! I find some joy filled moments, but they were temporary and in the scheme of things mostly futile. Then I heard my pastor preach on people being a thermostat instead of a thermometer. He explained, that we are to set the temperature (mood) of the room instead of simply reading the temperature (mood) that is there. In-which I was always chiming in with the crowd due to low expectations of myself. I had no idea of what to expect and thought it would take a miracle to figure it out. Which led me to rethink my idea of miracle, since my definition of expectations were all wrong. When I defined my version of a miracle, I expected something huge, spectacular and impossible to take place. That is until I heard my pastor say that he believes the greatest miracle that God will ever perform is that of a changed life. Being a little slow in learning the important stuff, it took this a little time to register. Then one day God got serious with his teaching and took me on a little trip down memory lane. My expectations of life where just that, “mine!” God has different ideas of how things should workout. My expectations of myself and my future, were “mine!” God has the perfect plan. My expectations of others, “all mine!” God is love! Can you see the commonalities here? All my expectations are actually holding me back, inhibiting my joy in this and minimizing my relationship with Jesus. Whereas God’s expectations of and for me are boundless in limits! He only asks in Philippians 4:6 ESV, do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Ergo, I am one of God’s miracles! He brought me from a place of poverty, where I was so spiritually poor that I couldn’t afford to change. I was lost in spirit, trapped in distress, discouraged in every area and addicted to the world. No hope, no way, no how! My expectations were deplorable and destructive to say the least and I felt there was no future. I was at the place that only a miracle could save me. Then God did what no person could do in my life! He saved my soul, gave me hope and directed me to follow Jesus with the help of The Holy Spirit. He changed my life! My expectations are no longer mine and I see His miracles daily. I see His miracle when I awake in the morning and they surround me all day. I’ve learned to trust in Ephesians 3:20 ESV, now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us. I love the part, according to the power at work within us (me), which means I can grow the power through my relationship with Jesus. I now have the confidence of the Holy Spirit, the power of Jesus and the love of God to lead me in my daily affairs and my expectations are through the roof. I can’t say it enough, “I am God’s miracle!” He raised my spirit from its worldly death and breathed new life into my future. Proverbs 10:28 ESV, the hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish. Remove those worldly limits we place on Jesus and allow the spirit to carry you to new heights. I learned after years of being a selfish fool, once the true miracle happened to me, I found that the best miracles are those that happen to someone else. Selflessness trumps self-centeredness in God’s plan for us and that opens a whole new realm of sight for us through His eyes. I have learned the joy of 2 Corinthians 9:8 ESV, and God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. Just as the verse reads, God is able! I have learned to expect God’s miracle, in whatever size, degree and to whomever He chooses. I carry John 15:7 ESV, If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you in my mind and heart. This is one spectacular miracle for me is, “God wants” me to abide in Him and that has changed my every expectation of everything. My world, my life and my future are consistently changing for the better!

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HAVE A BLESSED WEEK BY BEING A BLESSING TO OTHERS!

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