Have you ever started out a new year with an overwhelming sense of expectation?
I'm not talking about New Year's resolutions. Or a one-word focus. Or even a renewed determination.
But rather, a feeling you can't quite explain or pin to anything specific. It's a whisper of the Holy Spirit. A tug in your heart.
Expectation brews deep in my soul for 2013.
I've almost worn myself out trying to figure out why. That's not a great way to start. So God led me to this anchor verse:
"My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him." Psalm 62:5 (NKJV)
This verse thankfully steadies my rocking boat of anticipation with: WAIT. Simply wait. I've scrawled this passage across calendars, bookmarked it on my iPad, and taped it above my desk.
And the most wonderful assurance of Psalm 62:5? My expectation knows the Source. The Anchor.
God Almighty faithfully works behind the scenes for our ultimate good. He will unveil the reason behind this incredible expectation in His perfect timing.
So what do we do in the meantime?
Listen for His guidance.
Trust in His timing.
Follow where He leads.
Walk through the doors He opens.
It may take a while before we behold the beautiful masterpiece that He's painting for each of us in 2013. But from the top of my head to the bottom of my toes, I know this:
2013 is going to be one for the books.
What are you expecting in 2013?
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2013 is going to be one for the books.
ReplyDeleteWow ... that could mean so many different things, Donna!
But I like that sentence -- it put a smile on my face.
What am I expecting in 2013?
No matter what -- God is in this.
No matter what -- God's got this.
Beth, I LOVE your perspective: centered in God with complete trust. That's the only way to roll into any day, month or new year!
DeleteLove that verse, Donna. Thanks for the reminder that when our expectations are in God, we can be sure something wonderful is going to happen!
ReplyDeleteEXACTLY! Praying your 2013 is wonderful, Sharla!
DeleteI know exactly what you mean, Donna! I'm expecting...something. LOL I don't know what, but if I try to figure it out I go nuts so I'll just say I'm expecting nothing less than God's best in all areas of my life and I'm going to work on paying more attention to seeing it take place.
ReplyDeleteExpecting nothing less than God's best is the best place to be, Jess. And seeing the ministry God is accomplishing through you and your "Forward" class is so exciting to hear about. YAY!
DeleteWow! This is exactly how I'm feeling too. I can't put my finger on it. I'm feeling anxious, I guess. The verse is exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteLoree, how exciting for you!! Plaster this verse everywhere. Not only does it calm, but it reminds us that God is up to something GREAT. I can't wait to hear one day what He orchestrated for your 2013!
DeleteYep, this spoke to me today, too! Thank you, Donna! One of my favorite Steven Curtis Chapman songs is "Great Expectations" - not a single release of his, but one tucked in an album that has spoken volumes to me for several years as God leads me to trust His lead, His timing, and His direction (instead of trying to take matters into my own hands and maneuver on my own...). I can have Great Expectations in His plans for me. What does that look like in 2013? I don't know yet, but I know the One who does. The chorus:
ReplyDelete"...Believe the unbelievable
Receive the inconceivable
And see beyond our wildest imagination
Lord, we come with great expectations!" Yep, I have great expectations for 2013.
Deb, what a perfect song! Your words and those lyrics remind me of Ephesians 3:20, where we are promised that God "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us." You have an exciting year coming up, my Friend! I can't wait to hold your incredible new book in my hands when it releases this Spring and savor it cover-to-cover. Blessings!
DeleteLove that verse!! I feel the same way, like 2013 will be a big year...but I don't know if it's a good big or a bad big. That not knowing can get tough, but remembering that God's in control is definitely the best answer for that anxiety. :)
ReplyDeleteLindsay, you bring up a great point. We don't know whether it will be good or bad. But you hit the nail on the head, "God's in control." He works for our ultimate good. Trusting in that makes even the bad palpable. Hugs!
DeleteDonna, I know exactly what you mean! I've had that same excited expectation, and I don't know why. I don't have any premonitions about my writing, or finances, or anything in particular, but I have this feeling that 2013 is going to be exactly what you said: For the Books! I love the verse you've paired with this expectation and I love that the Holy Spirit wants us to simply wait and see that the Lord is good!
ReplyDeleteSo happy to visit your blog today! I'm praying for your teaching/taping/writing/ministering!
YAY, Gabe! I'm celebrating that God is pressing upon you that same sense of great expectation for 2013! Isn't it amazing? I already see a glimpse of that expectation in your life as you started out the year on vacay with your sweet husband. Thanks so much for your prayers. They are PRICELESS. Hugs!
DeleteLast year brought a totally and completely unexpected change for me--one of the biggest in my life--when I discovered my husband's infidelity and after much prayer and talking with my pastor, realized he'd abandoned me and our marriage as well. I moved to my new home on Sept. 11th. I am beyond thankful for the friends and family who helped--and continue to help me--get through this time, and of course thankful for my relationship with the Lord, that has become deeper than I'd have imagined.
ReplyDeleteAfter having so many expectations destroyed, I'm almost afraid to expect anything or to even think about what I might be expecting. I know, though, that God allowed this to happen within a plan--His plan. I'm more than willing to carry it out when He reveals it to me. I will be waiting with expectation for that, as I continue what I feel is His work for me right now. I will listen, trust, follow and walk. THANK YOU for sharing.
Shelly, what a heartbreaking change you have endured. THANK YOU for sharing your vulnerability. God deepens and grows our faith in those unexpected valleys, my Friend. And I see that so very clearly in your words. You are looking to Him in trust to fill every single need. HE WILL! Fear comes straight from the pit. Keep your eyes plastered on Him, Shelly. It is a privilege to pray for you.
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