ODB: expectancy
October 1, 2009
READ: Matthew 7:7-11
If you . . . know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! —Matthew 7:11
With a handful of Cheerios, I tip-toed across the deck in my backyard trying to sneak up on the fish in the pond. Perhaps it was my shadow on the water . . . or maybe I wasn’t as sneaky as I thought. As I approached the railing, 15 enormous goldfish raced toward me, their large mouths frantically opening and closing in eager anticipation of an expected treat.
So, why did the fish so furiously flap their fins? Because my mere presence set off a conditioned response in their tiny fish brains that told them I had something special to give them.
If only we always had such a response to God and His desire to give us good gifts—a response based on our past experience with Him that flows from a deep-seated knowledge of His character.
Missionary William Carey stated: “Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.” God desires to equip us perfectly for what He wants us to do, and He invites us to “come boldly” to find mercy and grace in time of need (Heb. 4:16).
When we as God’s children are living in faith, we can have an exciting expectancy and a quiet confidence that God will give us exactly what we need, when we need it (Matt. 7:8-11). — Cindy Hess Kasper
Prayer without expectancy is unbelief in disguise.
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Loading ...ODJ: approved
October 1, 2009
READ: Romans 14:7-18
If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too (v.18).
In his iconic classic The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald details Jay Gatsby’s desperate attempts to gain the approval of his beloved Daisy. Creating a world worthy of Daisy’s desires, Gatsby makes his life a stage in hopes of regaining her love. While not strictly autobiographical, the novel bears shadows of Fitzgerald’s struggles to be the man who would gain the approval of those whose opinions he valued most—his own and his wife Zelda’s. Fiction and real life collide when the expectations of those around both Gatsby and Fitzgerald eclipse their reality.
God remained a distant figure in Fitzgerald’s novel and life. But his temptation to live for others’ approval is a struggle most people face—even believers in Jesus. Few would choose to live in fear of others’ opinions. Instead, this unhealthy concern for what others will think springs from our fear of rejection.
Gaining the approval of other people, however, is not a sin. Luke 2:52 tells us that Jesus grew in favor with God and with others. Likewise, Paul sought “to maintain a clear conscience before God and all people” (Acts 24:16). The problem comes when we make the approval of others our goal.
Even the most godly will fail at times. And our opinions are often shadowed by our sin nature. Anytime we put our focus on fulfilling others’ expectations, we exalt their opinion over God’s (John 12:42-43). What matters is God’s evaluation of us (2 Corinthians 10:18).
Living a life to please others—even with the best of motives—is a false quest. Becoming a workman approved by God (2 Timothy 2:15) means living to please Him and assessing our motives and actions by the Word (Hebrews 4:12).
Only one opinion ultimately matters in life: God’s. His expectations of us do not change due to emotions or circumstances; He remains consistent and true. —Regina Franklin
Is there anyone whose approval you feel you must have? How important is God’s approval to you?
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