What are your expectations filled with?

Todays’ blog post is contributed by David Trotta

If you know the story in the Old Testament book of Numbers, twelve Israelites went ahead to spy out the Promised Land.  Ten returned with fear-filled expectations because of the fortified cities and giants in the land.  They were so afraid they actually preferred returning to Egypt where they were held in bondage as slaves rather than trying to take the land God had promised.

But two spies – Caleb and Joshua – came back with hope-filled expectations.  They wanted to move forward and take the land regardless of what obstacles were in the way.  They knew that if God was for them, nothing could stand against them.

God recognized the different (hope-filled) spirit within Caleb and Joshua and made this declaration in Numbers 14:24 “But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.”

God was compelled to act on behalf of Caleb and Joshua because of the spirit of hope within them.  The rest of the Israelites, those who grumbled and let fear hold them back, wandered in the wilderness until they died.

God will honor our expectations even when they are not His expectations for us.

How many times has fear kept you from entering God’s promise land for you?  Fear paralyzes us and keeps us in the wilderness to die a slow death of unrealized potential.

The next time you are faced with an opportunity and God is nudging you to move forward, mediate on God’s goodness until your heart is overflowing with hope-filled expectations.

We must be intentional about our expectations, because they will have a big impact on our lives and determine whether we wander in the wilderness or take the promised land.