Wednesday's Washing: I'm Expecting!

Wednesday's Washing

I'm Expecting!

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest." 1 Peter 5:7

I bet that grabbed your attention! Well it's true, or at least I'm trying to make it more so in my life.

Our pastor talked about living expectantly, this past Sunday, and I had to confess, I've not been living there as much as I'd like. There are w eeks when I spend time praying for our services and I walk in on Sunday mornings expecting to encounter the Lord. Then there are times when I just show up and I wonder why on earth the Lord allowed me to waste his time? (In truth, God doesn't see our efforts towards him, no matter how weak, as wasteful.)

I don't want to simply exist from day to day never expecting God to move on my behalf or to see his hand at work in my life. I want to wake up every morning expecting him to speak to me. I want to walk into the house of God on Sunday morning, with my heart prepared, expecting to encounter him.

Maybe we're bored with church because we've stopped expecting God to move. Maybe we've fallen away from the Lord and allowed some distance between us and other believers because we've lost our hope. It happens! But friends, we don't have to give into what we feel when our hope seems to have gone astray.

God wants to meet us where we are and he will. He wants us to encounter his presence. He longs for us to become more aware of his activity in our lives, but there is something we must do - expect him to show up.

Sure there will be times when the Lord will sovreignly manifest his presence in our lives, but if we want to go deeper with him, if we want to see him move in power in our families, at our work places, and in our churches, then we need to begin to expect him to show up.

Invite the Lord into your world right where you are, right this very moment. In the middle of that heated discussion, invite the Lord's wisdom and his words of life. In the moment of your anxiety, invite the Lord's peace. In the midst of your frustration and anger, invite the Lord's grace to wash over you. In your moment of brokenness and hurt, invite his comfort and love to surround you.

What is it that you need from the Lord today? Invite him, ask him to come and be that for you, and then expect him to meet you.

I'm expecting! Are you?

Father, give us expectant hearts longing to move in step with you. May we awaken to the realization that we were born for encounter with the living God.

I am the Secretary and Ladies' Ministry Leader at Calvary Community Church, in Houston. I am “Ebby” (my grandma name) to many, and “Mom” to one adorably sweet canine named, Beau. I began attending Calvary almost 25 years ago, and since then, my understanding of who Jesus is and how big His love is for me, has grown considerably. I guess you could say I’ve “grown up” at Calvary.

I've always had a heart for serving others and ministering to women, and I love the church. Bottom line! She is a beautifully flawed menagerie of the face of God and I simply adore her. I believe in beautiful messes because I am one. If God can use this single girl to touch just one soul through anything I say or do, then my life has been well spent.