What is joyful expectation?
I remember hearing Pastor Karl Vaters back at Cornerstone in Fountain Valley, California, sometime around 2001 preach about 'joyful expectation', i believe, and it renewed something in my heart that i had experienced ever since that day when God breathed new life into my heart and opened my eyes to the spiritual realm and what He was doing around me. Knowing, even with just a small limited knowledge, who God is and His character, His majesty, His greatness, and then being able to watch for His work in my life and around me is joyful expectation. Knowing that He who began a good work in me, and in others, will be faithful to complete it, is joyful expectation. It is hope that does not disappoint because it is not of human control.
Back in the high school youth group day we so embrased the idea of living in joyful expectation but didn't know to call it that. We were always experiencing the work of God and incredible things, lives being changed, including our own. Eventually what we had changed, got torn down, and we all moved on, though memories and our relationship with our Saviour remains and still grows.
I feel like the same thing happened again to me after being sparked again to joyful expectation n the early 2000's. Steve and I were steadily growing and being used by God, experiencing God's mercy and grace, watching God work around us. We had such high hopes of this continuing as we moved into this new land. We are fighting harder than ever to keep our eyes on the Author and Perfector of our faith and not on our circumstances, whether trying or easy, that He might bring back joyful expectation.
When one is around someone that stands firm and breathes joyful expectation it is contagious; you can't help but to also look for God's work around you. If we are brothers/sisters in Christ Jesus we have the very same alive and active God, right? This is just one of the many many reasons why we must make every opportunity count when given the blessing of fellowship, to spur one another on.
Once again, i must end on this scripture that has been a long time favorite and i cannot get out of my mind lately:
"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us, to Him be the glory in the church for all generations for ever and ever. Amen." Romans 3:20
Amen
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