With a handful of Cheerios, I tip-toed across the deck in my
backyard trying to sneak up on the fish in the pond. Perhaps it
was my shadow on the water . . . or maybe I wasn’t as sneaky as
I thought. As I approached the railing, 15 enormous goldfish
raced toward me, their large mouths frantically opening and
closing in eager anticipation of an expected treat.
So, why did the fish so furiously flap their fins? Because my
mere presence set off a conditioned response in their tiny fish
brains that told them I had something special to give them.
If only we always had such a response to God and His desire to
give us good gifts—a response based on our past experience with
Him that flows from a deep-seated knowledge of His character.
Missionary William Carey stated: “Expect great things from God.
Attempt great things for God.” God desires to equip us perfectly
for what He wants us to do, and He invites us to “come boldly”
to find mercy and grace in time of need (Heb. 4:16).
When we as God’s children are living in faith, we can have an
exciting expectancy and a quiet confidence that God will give us
exactly what we need, when we need it (Matt. 7:8-11). — Cindy
Hess Kasper
When with expectancy we pray
According to God’s will,
We’ll see Him working in our lives
His purpose to fulfill. —Sper
Prayer without expectancy is unbelief in disguise.
