Earthly Expectations with Heavenly Focus

The scene on Mt. Sinai when Moses first went to the top to speak with the LORD must have been awesome!  While he was there, the LORD spoke the 10 commandments in the hearing of all the  people!  Moses later recorded these words about that scene.  “These words the LORD spoke to all our assembly, in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice…” (Deuteronomy 5:22).

This scene, from 40 years earlier, was reviewed with the people just before they went into the Promised Land.  The book of Deuteronomy records the second reading of that law of Moses and includes this review.  The reaction of the people seems reasonable to me.  Moses reminded them that they had been afraid of that scene and begged Moses to go up and get the rest of the Law without them having to hear the voice of God again.  These were their words.  “You go near and hear all that the LORD our God may say, and tell us all that the LORD our God says to you, and we will hear and do it.” (Deuteronomy 5:27).

In that moment and because of that scene, they stated their expectations of themselves that they would hear and do whatever God said.  Certainly, they were telling the truth.  The LORD even verified their words, “…I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you.  They are right in all that they have spoken.  Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments…” (Deuteronomy 5:28-29).

As a new year begins and so many are thinking about making resolutions, let us take a few moments to consider our goals and expectations.  We all want to do better.  We all want to grow spiritually, right?  However, it is good to consider the expectations we have for our lives.  Is it possible that some of them are just not very important?

Expectations come from our own experiences and desires.  Farmers expect that seeds planted will yield the same as the seed.  We go to the doctor because we expect he can help us recover from whatever ails us.  We exercise because we are convinced that movement helps our overall health and well-being.

The question we need to ask is, “Are our expectations of this life real expectations?”  What I mean is this.  Are the expectations we have full of substance and meaning for the main purpose of this life—to get to heaven?   I am not saying that we should not have goals for this life:  college, marriage, children, job, etc.  I am saying that there is a way to put spirituality into all of our expectations, making them real or eternal.

Here are the spiritual traits of real expectations.  We must be single-minded even while living in this world.  James tells us that “a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:8).  We must be alert.  Jesus warned in a parable that the master of the servant might come unexpectedly, so be alert (Luke 12:46).  We must be grounded in faith like Abram who followed God’s directive “not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8).  We must be willing to sacrifice.  We must be givers even if nothing is given in return (Luke 6:35).  Finally, we must open-minded, just like Cornelius, to hear continually the voice of God (Acts 10:24).  These traits will ensure that our earthly expectations have a heavenly focus.

— Mike Johnson