Expectations...

God's Expectations...

My husband loves monkeys and gorillas. He wants one with for a pet. Yes, he has a friend who has inspired and cultivated this unique obsession. Our family has come to expect his daily text messages in our group with memes of gorillas and monkeys. I get them throughout the day. We anticipate the next and laugh with him. Our expectations include these images when we receive these texts.

I commented in a previous post about how I love the fact that the things God is trying to reveal to us show up in a multitude of ways all around us. Last Sunday, I was asking some of the people in our Sunday School class about what I was reading in Kings. It was odd to me that the Kings of Israel and Judah continually made the same mistakes. If you have ever read Kings, it is fascinating how the Kings came to rule, who they were related to, their age when they took over, and how long they reigned. I am a firm believer that when we do the same things expecting a different result, there are the same consequences, and nothing changes. It is a vicious cycle. I commented that the Kings did not remove the Asherah poles, places of worship to other Gods in the high places, and altars to other Gods. Last night while reading in 2 Kings, King Josiah had been anointed. Hilkiah, the high priest, said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” (2 Kings 22:8) When he took the book to Josiah, he read the Book of the Covenant. He immediately had remorse for not following the law, read the book to his people, and began to follow the law including tearing down these idols of false worship. I believe that some of the Kings before Josiah did not understand all the expectations as Josiah had not. Some knew and refused to follow. I know the bible says they "did what was right in the eyes of the Lord", and others did evil. It goes on to say they did not remove some of the idol worship in high places. Perhaps they did not understand completely what was expected.

I have taught for 24 years, both in college and public school concurrently. I have high expectations for my students. They know it, I know it, and their parents know it. I don't lower my expectations. Neither does God. In His word are His expectations. We have expectations for others, especially Christians. We expect them to be honest, caring, faithful, and keep God's covenants. God has expectations for us as well. Micah 6:8 says, "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God". God expects us to love the Lord first and foremost, love our neighbors as ourselves, and keep his commandments. We are expected to worship and read His word. As a new Christian, how do we know what God expects if we don't come to Him in worship, read His word, and build a relationship with Him? What do you expect from God? Do you know what He expects from you?