What Did You Expect?

1 Peter 1: ³ 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, ⁴ and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.⁵ And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. God gives us a hope that is beyond understanding when we are born again in Jesus. We are a new creation, and all the old things have passed away, including not knowing what is going to happen in the next moment. Anxiety about the future is a very real thing, and God does not intend for us to be anxious, but live in the hope and promises He gives us.

A lot of Christians are getting a reality check in their lives because the battle we face when receiving and following Jesus is a real thing. We are in a war. But. This is a BIG but!! Because of God's mercy that we have the hope of all hopes as we walk and live in this war. We have the inheritance, and it is for us. The difference between this inheritance and an earthly inheritance is, yes, Jesus died to give it to us, but Jesus was resurrected, and He is still alive today. Jesus isn't just leaving us a parting gift of glory heaven as our inheritance, but He is still here with us in the Holy Spirit to guide us as we live our lives.

In this inheritance, our Heavenly Father is empowering us to know what to do in light of the great gift of salvation. Remember, God is the one who provided the inheritance, and God is the one who will come through on His promises. And God is also protecting us as His children until the day Jesus comes back. And He is coming back!! All of this is READY to be revealed on the last day, as Peter wrote in the above scriptures.

I've got to ask....What Did You Expect? I expect God to come through on everything He has promised in His Word. I expect heaven is a place prepared for you and me. I expect the power to follow His mission of sharing the gospel to be real and active in my life. I have GREAT EXPECTATIONS, and never disappoints. Just sayin the truth. Sure, we are in a battle that seems overwhelming at times, but God is the real overwhelming force in this battle, and He has an imperishable inheritance waiting for us. I like to ride my bicycle at a pretty good pace, and there is a point in the ride when my muscles are "talking" to me, and they are not saying good things like "Oh, you will be fine. It's just a little pain for just a little while." No, they are saying "Quit." I have a decision to make. "Do I quit or do I push through?" When I push through and get to the end of the ride, I do have jelly legs, but as I shakily walk back into the house, there is such a sweet rest that is waiting for me. Then I think, "I made it and it was worth it." That peace is so much more than I anticipated when I was out there "dying" on that bike ride. In the middle of the ride, my decision about finishing the ride is important to finishing the ride and getting to the cool down after.

Things may look bleak and difficult in the middle of this whole spiritual war, but as Peter said in the above verses, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. Keep on pedaling because the end is in sight. What Did You Expect? Praise God!!

The Pilgrimage Continues,

David Warren