Great Expectations Fulfilled

UV 1520/10,000 Great Expectations Fulfilled
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Jeremiah 29 v 11

We should not entertain ordinary expectations for our lives. Faith is about sustaining great expectations. In this uni-verse, the Lord assures us that He has plans not to harm us but to prosper us. Sure, the enemy of our souls has plans to harm us as Jesus said, “He is a roaring lion, a killer, a robber, a thief and destroyer.” He would love to destroy our reputations or our testimonies if not our lives. He is the archetypal Haman who was out to destroy Mordecai and the Jewish race. But Jesus is our Mordecai. He has thoughts towards us of Shalom or wholesome peace and prosperity with no sorrow added. Jesus is the all conquering hero who conquered death and sin itself. He is competent to fulfil His hope and promises to us.

Consciousness happens when we are thinking some thoughts and we are conscious we are thinking those thoughts. Faith happens when we are conscious we are thinking some thoughts and we are also conscious God is thinking those thoughts. We should visualise an expected end for ourselves in all areas of our lives and submit it under the covenant protection of the Lord. He being the Lord Amen will bring it to pass in His time and in His way. The will and counsel of the Lord will prevail for all generations. The Psalmist says that many are the wonderful ways and thoughts of the Lord toward us- they are more numerous than can be recalled or declared. He knows the end from the beginning. If He has spoken it He will bring it to pass. If He has purposed it or promised it, He will do it. His promises are like wheat laden sheaves collected on the threshing floor. We only need to claim it in faith and the grain will be separated to nourish our faith and prosper our lives. He will seek out His sheep and feed them. He will appoint pastors to feed them and care for them. The Lord shall deliver us from the hunter’s deadly hands. He will foil his plans to prey on us or to trap us.
As an application, I wrote down my expectations of the Lord over the rest of my life. We need to believe that He honours our expectations. We need to believe that He is more than capable of fulfilling our expectations. But we also need to know that His will is sovereign and trust Him to do what is wise and best for us and that He will do it in due time and not either too early or late. We need to hope and hold onto our expectations even if we do not see or experience it for a very long while.

Prateep V Philip