It’s Friday…When We Least Expect Him, Expect Him

God is a God who loves surprises. For years, Israel had heard the stories, like God bringing His people out of Egypt, guiding them to the land of promise, pruning the nation through the kings and prophets, disciplining them for rebellion, and lavishing upon them promises of restoration in the last days. And those promises were amazing! These were no modest hopes, not by any means. They were predictions of ultimate fulfillment and of eternal peace and prosperity. Israel, it surely seemed would be magnificently blessed.

The amazing things God was doing for His people were clear indications that the fulfillment of promises past had come. The prophets were being proved right. It was very apparent that the Kingdom of God was arriving in its glory.

But here was the problem, the Kingdom didn’t look like the kingdom many people expected. Yes, some marveled at the intricate, awesome plan of God, but others preferred the status quo. This not only happened in the Old Testament but in the New Testament as well. The people stuck-in-the-status-quo rejected the message of the Apostle Paul and Barnabas at Antioch because they believed their personal world was too well-constructed and arranged just the way they liked it to be modified even by The Almighty. It’s a curious phenomenon of strictly religious folks: God can be honored in the past and hoped for in the future, but He can never, ever be allowed to intrude in the present.

“They were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him.” (Acts 13:45)

It’s a tragic shame when the status quo is more relevant to us than the work of God is, but that’s often the case. We get complacent, and as much as we complain about our circumstances and hope for better, we just can’t handle the surprising intrusions of The LORD Almighty. But we must. His intrusions are fulfillment of promises past and lead to the ultimate purpose for our lives we all long for. We should always be open to His plan, whether it fits our expectations or not. Why? Because we serve a God who loves us, and He loves to surprise us in glorious ways. He surprised first-century Jews with the Messiah and the Spirit, He surprised the early church with miracles and missions, and He will surprise us with the blessings we crave today. When We Least Expect Him, Expect Him. It isn’t an intrusion, rather it’s inclusion. He wants to include us and bless us beyond our wildest dreams if we will allow Him. So, let’s not settle for anything less than His best. Agree?

Have a pleasant and surprising weekend. Make it better by worshiping The Lord with those who won’t settle for the status quo because they have experienced His amazing promises and the satisfying change it brings.

All For Jesus – Nothing More, Nothing Less, Nothing Else.

“He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, The King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see, to Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:15b-16)