GREAT EXPECTATIONS

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation.” 1 Peter 1:3 NLT

This past year has exhausted me. It has shaken the earth beneath me. It has sucked the oxygen out of my lungs and tried to consume me. It's ever-tightening grip put pressure on me in a way that made me want to pull away from everyone and everything. Yesterday, as I was driving, I felt the Lord encouraging me. My expectation is for God to do the miraculous in spite of what things look like. My expectation is for God to gain glory through my life even though it may look different than it ever has. I will not bend, I will not bow, and I will not break. As easy as it would be to retreat, I will not. As much as I want to lash out, I can't. I want the Lord to move on and in me in spite of my situation. He is my everlasting hope. No matter what happens, He is the essence of life and life more abundant. My sin, my past, and my future are all covered by His mercy, His grace, and His love. Who am I to live in sorrow when I have been bought at such a great price? Who am I to think that suffering should not exist in my life just because I claim His blood over it? I am resolved to follow my Savior in the best of times. I am resolved to do the same in the worst of them as well.

Will you choose to praise God even in your darkest moment?