Trusting God with Your Expectations
Photo by Subodh Bajpai
Very often what the Lord has in mind for us looks different than what we have in mind for ourselves. The key is to trust Him and follow His leading even when His voice takes us on a path we didn’t expect.
One area where human expectations frequently “get in the way” is dating and marriage. Some people are single partly because they are waiting for God to bring them a spouse who fits what they expect: the picture of the ideal man or woman they have built in their minds. They are looking for that specific person, when God might have something different for them.
If God wants to do something that doesn’t quite match our expectations, will we trust Him and say yes?
Better, Bigger, Broader, Deeper
Isaiah 56:4–5 describes the heart of the Lord for His children:
For this is what the Lord says:
“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose what pleases me
and hold fast to my covenant—
to them I will give within my temple and its walls
a memorial and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
that will endure forever.” (NIV)
Do you sense the tender love and hope in this passage? Here is a group of people who don’t expect to leave a legacy. They think they have missed out because they can’t have children.
But God is saying, “You haven’t missed out. If you choose Me, if you make Me the most important thing in your life, I am going to give you the desire of your heart, and it will be better than your expectations. The legacy I give you will endure forever.”
When God tells a story, that story is beautiful. He answers the deepest desires in the hearts of His children—but His children need to trust Him along the way and allow Him to change their expectations if necessary.
God Is Writing Your Story
Your love story might not look exactly the way you expected. In fact, hopefully it doesn’t, because you don’t want something that is humanly built. You want something made in Heaven.
This is the God writing your love story:
God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. (Eph. 3:20–21 MSG)
If you can trust Him enough to give Him your dating and marriage expectations, the Lord will tell a wonderful, beautiful story with you that is sweeter and more precious than you expected.
Did you know we have a monthly online prayer meeting where we specifically pray for marriages? You are invited to join us! Click the button below to sign up!
Your heavenly Father loves you more than you realize! For more about His amazing, unending love, check out Becoming the One by Salomé Roat. Click here to learn more. The book is also available in Spanish.