Expectations of GOD

2 Kings 5: ¹⁰ Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”

¹¹ But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. ¹² Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

¹³ Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” ¹⁴ So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

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“Take notes” the department head told me as we were headed on a break. The nerve!  I mean, I was a “manager” at that time. Maybe they didn’t know I had two people reporting to me. Besides, this person wasn’t even my boss!

I noticed a couple of my peers acting a little jealous of me getting chosen to “take notes” in a meeting. I told another person what was asked of me and they said “Take this as an opportunity to sit at the decision making table.” I went back in, took notes and this act started a journey to a highly successful career.

• Sometimes pride makes me blind to what GOD is doing.
• Sometimes pride makes me think certain things have to happen certain ways in order for me to be successful.
• Sometimes pride makes me set false expectations of GOD and I think HE will do certain things a certain way.

Disappointment in GOD is easily found in my expectations of HIM. Looking back, HE has had compassion on my enemies rather than taking them out and smiting them. HE has allowed people who serve HIM to have problems in their lives even though I prayed for them. HE even let arrogant, reckless people seem to get their way while I struggled to serve HIM on a daily basis. BUT GOD says hold on.

• GOD says to me “In order to be great humble yourself.”
• GOD says to me “My ways are not your ways.”
• GOD says to me “The first will be last and the last will be first.”

Maturity has taught me that I should never say “If I were GOD…” mainly because if I were HIM, things would be quite messed up. I should have faith in HIS unmatched power, trust in HIS awesome wisdom and respect for HIS mysterious yet extremely effective plans.

GOD knows what HE is doing, even when I think things are going haywire!

• Do you have an expectation of GOD?
• Are you expecting HIM to deliver you in a certain way at a certain time?
• Can you praise HIM for what HE “is” doing rather than complaining about what HE isn’t?
• Won’t you follow GOD’s strange plan for you and allow HIM to shape your road?