Today we continue our series entitled, “Expecting the Word to Work!” This is part 49.
We have been studying the parable of the sower for months. This parable boils down to receiving a Word from God and making sure that you are GOOD GROUND long enough to see what God said come to pass. A few days ago I started talking to you about managing your expectations while you are waiting on God to do what He said He would do. Today we will continue to flow in that vein.
Jesus said:
“The farmer is like someone who plants God’s teaching in people. Sometimes the teaching falls on the path. That is like some people who hear the teaching of God. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the teaching that was planted in them.
Other people are like the seed planted on rocky ground. They hear the teaching, and they quickly and gladly accept it. But they don’t allow it to go deep into their lives. They keep it only a short time. As soon as trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they give up.
Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching, but their lives become full of other things: the worries of this life, the love of money, and everything else they want. This keeps the teaching from growing, and it does not produce a crop in their lives.
And others are like the seed planted on the good ground. They hear the teaching and accept it. Then they grow and produce a good crop—sometimes 30 times more, sometimes 60 times more, and sometimes 100 times more.” (Mark 4:13-20 ERV)
So what does this mean to you today? I will share a few thing about getting your hopes up.
- One of the hardest lessons to learn as a believer is that God’s promises are tied to His timing. Hearing from God is amazing. Knowing what God promised does something for you that is like nothing else in the world. But if you don’t manage your expectations correctly, you will expect God to do what He said BEFORE He plans on doing it and the pain associated with the “let down” you experience on a God-sized level can be devastating. To avoid this type of pain we must understand that God will do what He said He would do, but He will only do it in the FULLNESS of time!
- Most of us know what it is like to get our hopes up for something, only to experience a painful “let down” when it does not happen when we wanted it to. If we are not careful, the pain can cause us to give up on the dream altogether. But to live by faith you must have the courage to get your hopes up again when God says IT IS TIME!
- I know what it is like to open my heart to God’s dream to the point where I live with an amazing hope. And I also know what it is like to misalign my expectations and then have to swallow the bitter pill of knowing that I wanted what God said BEFORE He was ready to do it. The key is to NOT allow yourself to get so bitter that you will not raise your hopes again when you sense the time approaching. If you get bitter and give up on the dream, you run the risk of losing out on God’s best.
- The rocky ground people get excited when they hear a Word from God, but when the Word does not come to pass quickly, and when trouble and persecution come because of the Word, these people are quick to GIVE UP on God. Don’t let this be you. You will never successfully live by faith until you build up the reliancy required to overcome opposition, setbacks and disappointments.
- The thorny ground people get excited when they hear a Word from God, but when the Word does not come to pass quickly, they turn to their own desires and they chase money instead of purpose. This happens because they have no confidence that God will do what He said and they also have no confidence in the fact that God’s dream for their life is better than the one they came up with on their own. Don’t let this be you. You can never outdream God!
- If you manage your expectations correctly you will be able to GET YOUR HOPES UP at just the right time, without regard for the pain you have experienced in the past. Never allow past pain to keep you from your purpose!
Closing Confession:
Father, this is a season of expectation for me. My expectation is tied to Your Word. I know You will do what You said You would do in my life. I have misjudged Your timing in the past. I have misaligned my expectations and it has been a painful experience. But I refuse to allow past pain to keep my from future success. I open my heart to Your dream for my life and I RAISE MY EXPECTATIONS when I sense the FULLNESS OF YOUR TIMING coming to pass! I live with an eternal hope that only YOU can satisfy! I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
