OUR EXPECTATIONS IS OF THE LORD
By
Rev. David L. Whitener. 8-1979.
Revised updated, 7-14-2009/
READ PSALMS 62:5.
KING JAMES VERSION.
“My soul, wait thou only upon God;
For my expectation is from him”
Expectation : means,
Goal, vision, desire, hope, dream, fulfillment, completion,
Deep longing, destiny, purpose for being, plan, WHAT I WAIT FOR.
A while back, I asked two people this question.
"What is the thing that you hope for, desire, want, plan for the most, you know, your greatest thing in human existence you long for AS your life's goal."
1. One store clerk girl said, what she longs for and her greatest desire is for.....
" A pretty white house with bay windows upstairs, fire place, with a white picket
Fence around it."
2. The second person; a old man, said:
"Heaven, was his life goal and hope."
As we properly love God first.
God then will then help us to
Properly love others and put all our life
and plans in
Proper Order; under His Lordship.
Now, picture with me a cake, baked in the shape of a
Heart, you know, like a valentine. Now, cut that cake
In pieces, one piece is for your spouse, one for each of your children, one for church, one for your job, one is for your ministry, one for your hubbies, a big one is for God. Etc.
This is what God may see when we give him our heart. Then we try and call Him, our Lord. God does Not want a piece of our heart or souls commitment. He wants 100% of our heart or soul ( life ). You know, Heaven is not even the right thing to lust for or want as a goal. Our real and daily focus is Jesus and to be like him in all of our attitudes and life motives and goals. As we properly love God first, He will gives us the desires of our hearts and help us properly love others and desire other things.
Read, Mathew 6:33 “Seek first Christ and His kingdom…”
The definition for idolatry is:
"trusting, people, possessions, or a position of importance to do for me, what only God can do." Rev. Bill Gathard.
1. People --- people fail us....
A. Read, 1 Samuel 8:6-7.
King Saul, was chosen as
King over Israel and God had to take second place.
The people lusted, longed and hoped for a man to
Lead the nation, intead of God as their king. This broke God's heart, and made the prophet Samuel angry at the people of Israel. Saul failed God and the nation badly
Later in his life. God rejected him as King. And Saul,
Even killed himself. People are not God. People fail.
Do not depend on flesh but on God.
Also, Read, Exodus 14: 21, 27-28,30, 15:5. Numbers 16 1- 32. 1 Samuel 8:6-7.
B. Read, Genesis 2:18.
Adam did not lust after or
Covet and seek a wife. He was busy serving God, and
It was God that noticed Adam needed a wife. Then God sent Adam a wife to complete him.
Illustration:
When I was single I thought a girl would make me complete and happy. You know; I wanted to meet "Miss Right", or like the Charlie Brown cartoon, I wanted to find that "red haired girl." Ah, but the more I tried to feel Joy and happiness in a girl friend the more I got heart broken and hurt. People fail but God makes us feel truly loved, accepted, whole and complete. The Truth is that,
In Christ we are completely complete, and we do not have need for any thing. Until I realized that I must first be content and know that I am whole and complete first in
Christ. I can never be happy married. When our husband
Or wife dies or is sick we must know Christ is there for us.
We are whole and complete first and at all times in Him. He is our every thing, and our all in all. He is our faithful
Life partner for ever. He will never leave us alone or unloved. Praise God! God does not fail us. Read, Isaiah 45:9.
2. Possessions --- read; Psalms 106:11-17.
The nation of Israel lusted after a thing they wanted and God gave them
Their desires, BUT, God then brought then leanness to their souls. Leanness is the opposite of fatness. Fatness of soul in The Bible means great blessings. Leanness means little or no blessings or trials and troubles.
A.
Things that we own does not make us complete or give joy. Like when I get a new T.V. Or Radio etc.
Sure, I am happy for a time with my new possessions,
But joy is a real and lasting Fruit of The Holy Spirit and is in me and with me no matter if things are good or bad. Joy is based on my love and personal relationship with Christ; not things of this world or life.
B. Illustration : Read; Psalm 20:7.
I thought a new car would make me the happiest man in my city. I hoped and lusted for it. I made it sound so spiritual and righteous when I asked God to help me get it. I prayed for it. I thought I needed it. I had a older one already. But, wow, that new Toyota was so very nice. It would save me gas with its smaller engine you know. I justified the want as if it was a great need in my life to get it.
I spent more money on it to make it the coolest and smartest looking style. I made it look so sporty. Then one day while I proudly drove it down the
Ice covered Hi way I lost control and flipped that precious new car and crashed it. The roof was mashed in, windows broken out. The right side smashed in and those great looking and sporty car body sides are now smashed also.
Now it was not even drivable or good to look at. Wow. My idol has become that car, and has made me feel so sad and depressed; or I should say, I let this happen to me.
I lost my happiness and hurt so much. Then The Lord convicted me and rebuked me and I could hear Jesus say to me.
“ you let that man made thing take away your victory, and joy and faith…. You are now more upset about that than you are about your family that is not a Christian."
When I cry and hurt more for a car that is lost or destroyed than I do for lost souls then I am guilty of have a idol. God was not depressed or crying about my car. It is a thing. So, I asked God to forgive me for taking my eyes off of Him and for letting a thing I take away my joy. Stuff or things I posses or own
Should not do for me what only God should do. I am complete first and last in Christ having need for nothing.
I started then to rejoice that I was safe and that He is still my savior and Friend, and my Only Lord and king. Our joy should not depend on what we posses or in things we own. But on the fact that we are saved and God is our Heavenly and loving Father, through Jesus Christ.
3. Positions --- Read, 1 Samuel 24:10.
David did not lust after the throne or make himself to be king over the land of Israel. God puts us in a place of authority not we ourselves. David waited upon God to promote him into the kings throne.
A. Also, read, 1 Peter 5:5-7.
SUBMMIT, BE HUMBLE, DO NOT WORRY, GOD WILL GIVE YOU PEACE AND PUT YOU IN THE PLACE HE WANTS YOU TO BE IN AND GOD WILL LIFT YOU UP....
And, Proverbs 18:6; says that “ a mans gift will put him in the right places and positions of importance.”
B.
Remember the rich young ruler, in Mathew 19:16-22. He loved money and his being a ruler more than he loved God and the poor or Jesus Christ.
The religious leaders of Jesus day thought they where more Powerful and important in their places of authority than Jesus OR any one else, including Jesus Christ.
Yet Jesus judged them and later brought judgment upon all Israel in 70 A.D. when the Temple was destroyed. Our leaders are men. And, men fail and are not perfect. But, God will never fail,
And God is perfect 100% of the time and eternally.
Illustration: I once thought,
“wow, if I could only be the boss at this job I would be perfectly happy. But only to find, with a job as boss comes more problems and responsibilities and troubles.
Then later in my life, I thought being in full time ministry would make all my life complete and full of joy. But,
As a pastor and full time institutional chaplain I found I
Had to pray more, study more and still carry many new burdens and sorrows. I had to call on God more as I needed God more than I ever did before I became a full time minister. A job or important position does not
Fulfill us and bring us joy. That only happens as we
Live in Jesus Christ each minute of each day of our lives.
Read, 1 Timothy 6:6.
Praise be to God!
