Hope and expectation.

And now, Lord, what do I wait for and expect? 
Psalm 39:7a AMP

We all have times in our lives when we ask ourselves, what is going on here? How can there be a good outcome to this circumstance? Where do I put my hope and expectation at this time?

David had a great answer to that question. 

My hope and expectation are in You.
Psalm 39:7b AMP

For our family there have been many times when we have asked that question, what is going on here? Often from both a health and a financial perspective. 

From the health side of things we have had wonderful help from medical professionals, but we have had to learn to not put our hope and expectation in them alone. Diagnosis are given, and side effects are explained. We would listen and accept what we heard.

One example relates to Victoria and chemotherapy treatment. We were told she would lose all her hair. So our expectation was that Victoria would lose all her hair. Our expectation immediately aligned with the medical world.

A few week's later, a friend told me, that her friend was praying that Victoria would not lose all her hair. And guess what - Victoria didn't lose all her hair during 15 months of treatment. She lost some, but not all. Lesson - God always has the last say. We had put our expectation and hope in the wrong place, but thankfully God was gracious to have someone else standing in the gap for our daughter.

It is because of the Lord's mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not. Lamentations 3:22 AMP

So now, when we are told something from a medical perspective, we are getting into the habit, so not just accepting it, rather, taking it to God, and saying, "We know You have this situation under control. We know You are greater than this circumstance. We know that all things are possible with You." Our hope and expectation shifts to Him.

The Lord is my portion or share, says my living being (my inner self); therefore will I hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him. The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly for Him, to those who seek Him [inquire of and for Him and require Him by right of necessity and on the authority of God's word]. Lamentations 3:24-25 AMP

However, it is hard to stay full-time in that place of hoping and expecting in God. There is always that little voice saying 'what if ....'. Some days it is easy to be full of faith and say to that little voice 'Go, in the name of Jesus'. Other days if it is given a second chance to speak, that little voice gets louder and is more difficult to stop. On those days I have learnt to stop, read God's Word, pray and worship until the faith and hope returns and I can declare, 

My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him. He only is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be moved. With God rests my salvation and my glory; He is my Rock of unyeilding strength and impenetrable hardness, and my refuge is in God!

Psalm 62:5-7 AMP

It is a daily choice of positioning oneself with God, sitting with Him, waiting for Him, standing firm, learning to put my hope and expectation in Him alone. Thankfully His gracious is sufficient while we are learning!

Question for today, what or who is your hope and expectation in? Is it man? Is it money? Is it God?