Please don't refresh this page.
We are submitting all your information.
This takes few seconds.
It will redirect after submission.
We are submitting all your information.
This takes few seconds.
It will redirect after submission.
In college, I remember sharing with a friend that I was feeling insecure about how I looked. Her response was kind, but surprised. She explained that she didn’t realize people got insecure after they were in relationships. Since I had a wonderful boyfriend (now my husband), she expected that I would always feel secure in how I looked. This conversation has stuck with me, because it’s such a clear example of how our expectations can affect us. If my friend expected to feel secure forever once she was in a relationship, she would end up looking to that person to be her security instead of to Christ. If there were days she didn’t feel secure, she might blame that person or relationship instead of going to God and seeking His help. Expectations are important, because they influence how we think, how we act, and how we hope others act.
Today’s passage is probably one of the most well-known passages of the Bible, and with that comes a tendency to romanticize it. (Flannel boards, anyone?) But these three men were about to die, and they had one shot to respond to the king who was in charge of their lives (or so he thought). In this pressure-filled moment with a rage-filled king (Daniel 3:13), they responded with incredible faith and trust. But what jumps out even more is the tiny phrase “But even if he does not” (3:18). They knew God could save them, but they did not assume He would. Instead, they trusted God to act and knew that He would act in the way that was best and according to His plan. They placed their expectations on God’s character (knowing He would do what was best) instead of His specific actions (thinking He would rescue them). Such a faith-filled response requires serious trust in God.
In today’s culture, there’s a lot of entitlement floating around. We can feel like we rightfully expect God to act in certain ways…but the reality is that we don’t know what is best. We aren’t God, and we need to stop thinking as if we were (see Isaiah 55:8-9). Instead of being set on specific expectations, what if we acted like Daniel’s friends and focused on trusting and praising God, taking the next step in front of us in faith? Instead of being entitled, we can be expectant of God to work in our lives. How He chooses to accomplish that work is up to Him.
Today, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit indwelling us, helping us to rest in the presence of God and trust Him. When we’re feeling anxious about circumstances or entitled to certain outcomes, let’s turn to the Holy Spirit and seek grace to bolster our faith and trust in God, and then expectantly watch for His character as He acts in whatever way He chooses.
James 4:13-15 states: “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’” How can we let go of daily entitlement and instead humbly recognize God’s sovereignty (Isaiah 55:8-10)?
Instead of being so worried about specifics, I can focus on God’s provision for me. For example, I’ve been worried about my morning routines, but this can cause me to get super focused on myself and entitled to getting a certain amount of sleep. Instead of that, I can focus on God’s provision (whether that be extra rest if I sleep in, time to work on things later in the day, or grace to not get everything done every day).