Expectations

Sunday, January 1st, 2006

Expectations

The three things:

• Is there a fact to believe here?


• Is there a promise to trust?


• Is there a command to obey?

Well… I woke up this morning to some interesting news. It made me do some serious thinking… Many years ago, I woke up on Christmas morning to find our household pet had passed away on the front porch. Is Christmas supposed to be warm and fuzzy? Is death supposed to take the day off? So when this morning I found that a family member of mine is going to be passing away, most likely today, I was heartbroken. People kept coming up to me, wishing me a Happy New Year and I would be like, “yeah… happy new year.” Because it is a holiday, I am supposed to be excited about everything. My heart weighs heavy. I couldn’t even sit through service because everyone is happy and I just couldn’t fake it. I couldn’t.

John 11:35
35 Jesus wept.

Jesus cried. And I find it in my heart to do the same. I must say, I have struggled today with smoking and drinking… and the worst? I was at church and observed alcohol and rolled the idea in my head. How about that: to get drunk AT church.

John 11:32-34
32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 "Where have you laid him?" he asked.

"Come and see, Lord," they replied.

John 11:36-37
36 Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"

37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"

I can see how this series of scriptures can be a source of struggle for some. God raised Lazarus from the dead, why not my marriage? Why not my family? Why not this or that or whatever… I give God so many expectations. But do I still love him if no matter how unreasonable they may be they don’t become fulfilled? You know, I love God. I love Christ. But I consider these scriptures.

Proverbs 11:24-26
24 One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. 25 A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. 26 People curse the man who hoards grain, but blessing crowns him who is willing to sell.

Psalm 68:7-11
7 When you went out before your people, O God, when you marched through the wasteland, 8 the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel. 9 You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance. 10 Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor. 11 The Lord announced the word, and great was the company of those who proclaimed it.

Matthew 14:13-24
13 When Jesus heard what had happened (about John the Baptist), he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."

16 Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."

17 "We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.

18 "Bring them here to me," he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

I can admire how Christ finds out about his friend, cousin, actually and then still meets the needs of the crowds before he leaves to go and pray. I don’t know if I could do that. In fact, I know that I couldn’t, at least not today. But God refreshes. He refreshed Christ on the side of the mountain. He refreshes me.

Matthew 11:28-30
28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Proverbs 25:25
25 Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.

I like a cold soda. In fact, I have one next to me as I type this. It refreshes me… energizes me. It’s like waking up with some really good sleep… refreshed to tackle on the day’s garbage and muck and junk. Christ is like a cold soda, a refreshing drink. I can turn to him and be refreshed. Why? Because his yoke is easy and his burden is light. And by giving these things to him, it lightens my load all the more. And if a lighter load isn’t refreshing, then I really don’t know refreshment. How great is the love and taking away the heartache and pain? It’s a good thing. Johnny Out.