3/23/25 The Death of Expectations

Takeaway: What happens when God doesn’t act as we thought He would?

Opening Prayer

Heavenly Father, as I come before You today, I bring my hopes, my doubts, and my disappointments. Open my heart to Your truth and help me to trust You beyond my expectations. Speak to me through Your Word, and strengthen my faith even in the midst of uncertainty. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflection

We all carry expectations—hopes for the future, plans we believe will unfold, and assumptions of how life should go. We pray for healing, for provision, for God’s protection over our loved ones. We trust that if we do what is right, then surely life will follow a certain path. And yet, there comes a moment for many of us when reality shatters expectation.

Job, a man who feared God and lived righteously, had every reason to expect God’s blessing. But in a single stretch of days, he lost everything—his wealth, his children, his health. This pushed Job to sit in the ashes, and lament, not just his suffering, but the crushing weight of disillusionment. He had feared this very moment, and now it had arrived. His expectations had died, and in their place was only sorrow and turmoil.

What happens when God does not act as we thought He would? When the healing does not come? When the prayers go unanswered?

The death of expectation can feel like the death of faith itself. We might question God’s goodness, wondering if we misunderstood Him all along. But Job’s story reminds us that faith is not about controlling outcomes—it is about trusting God even in the absence of understanding. Job never received a full explanation for his suffering, yet by the end of his journey, he encountered God in a way he never had before (Job 42:5).

Disappointment with God is not the end of faith; it is often where deeper faith begins. When our expectations die, we are left with only God Himself. And sometimes, that is where we truly learn to trust—not in what we hoped He would do, but in who He is.

Question

How might God be calling you to trust Him beyond your expectations today?

Application

• Be Honest with God. Like Job, bring your disappointments, fears, and frustrations before God. He can handle your honesty and meets you in your pain.

• Look for God in the Unexpected. Disappointment often blinds us to the ways God is still working. Instead of dwelling on what hasn’t happened, ask God to reveal His presence and grace in your current situation.

• Anchor Your Faith in Who God Is, Not Just What He Does. Faith built on circumstances will waver when life takes an unexpected turn. Root your faith in God’s character—His love, faithfulness, and sovereignty—rather than in specific outcomes.

Closing Prayer

Lord, I come before You with my disappointments, my questions, and my unmet expectations. Help me to trust You even when I do not understand. When my plans fail, remind me that You are still faithful. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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