“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.”
Sometimes we under-promise, and then we over-deliver.
That’s not a bad way to perform because it means you rarely disappoint anyone, and occasionally, you might even dazzle them with your performance.
It’s far better than the alternative – to over-promise, then under-deliver. That’s when you get in trouble.
So, then, it’s probably best to simply promise and deliver. To have a realistic estimation of what you can do and then always follow through on what you said you would achieve. This is, after all, what we find in God. We don’t find a God who needs to hedge His bets just in case He can’t come through, nor do we find a God who is so weak that He can’t keep His word.
No, we find a God who promises, and then delivers.
Yet – and hold on here – we also find a God who exceeds our expectations!
But how can that be? If God tells us what He’s going to do, and then does what He says, how is He exceeding our expectations?
The reason, of course, is because of us.
It’s because our expectations are too small or even nonexistent. So even though God tells us the truth, we are still surprised when it actually happens.
Here are three specific examples:
1. We are more than forgiven.
As Christians we believe that although we deserve eternal punishment, Jesus took our place. But God goes beyond forgiveness. We are not only forgiven – we are adopted:
- In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will. (Ephesians1:5)
- Not only are we forgiven, but we are brought into God’s family. We are given a seat at His table as co-heirs with Jesus. (Romans 8:17)
2. We have more than peace.
When we hear the word “peace,” we tend to think it means a lack of conflict. And that is true, for apart from Christ, we are in conflict with God because of our sin. We are rebels to His kingdom and His righteousness. But in Christ, that conflict is removed.
But we have much more than a lack of conflict.
In Old Testament terms, we live in shalom. While that’s the word translated to English as “peace,” it’s so much more than that. Shalom is not just a lack of conflict; it’s Wholeness. Completeness. A state in which there is no lack for anything. This is what God brings us into – He doesn’t just remove the conflict; He makes us complete in every way.
3. We have more than provision.
As Christians, we believe God will provide for us. But what we’ve got to understand is that God provides for us in ways that exceed our expectations. Not in the sense that He will provide more money, a bigger house, or more lavish possessions. He provides all that we need for something more precious and lasting than earthly wealth and prosperity:
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:3)
God provides everything we need to follow Him in godliness.
Every. Single. Thing.
We have the Word. We have the Spirit. We have the Church. He provides all we need to help us navigate the perils of this world and then brings us safely into the next one.
This is the goodness and grace and generosity of God.
This is a God who exceeds all our expectations.
This is our God. Is He yours?
Written by Michael Kelley, Guest Contributor
To read more of Michael’s writing, check out his daily blog, Forward Progress http://michaelkelley.co/
DIG DEEPER
Read “High Expectations From Jesus” by Bryant Wright
