DAILY DEVOTIONAL ✝️  

What NOT To Expect From Christianity - 

It is so important for those who would be the children of God to understand

that it is possible to expect more than God has actually promised. Let us not

labor under any false impressions about what to expect.

 

1. Let us not expect to have every physical, material thing we will ever

desire. He has promised, however, that there will be enough to sustain us.

He has urged us to be free of fearful anxiety about the necessities of life

(Matt. 6:31-33).

2. Let us not expect that there will be no work to do as Christians. We

will not be able to “sit down and take it easy” in getting to heaven. “Labor”

and “work” are frequently used terms in the New Testament (1 Thess. 1:3;

Heb. 6:10). He said “your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).

We must not be lazy (Gal. 6:9)!

3. Let us not expect freedom from Satan’s temptations. God has never

said that since we are Christians we will be free of the devil’s efforts to turn

our hearts away from Christ. What he has promised is help to overcome

them (1 Cor. 10:13).

4. Let us not expect as Christians to be spared from persecutions and

a measure of mistreatment from enemies of the truth. God has not

promised that if we serve Him we will have no opposition. He has,

however, stated that there is a “crown of life” for those of us who overcome

as victors (Rev. 2:10; 2 Tim. 4:8).

5. Let us not expect a life of exemption from disappointments and

heartaches that plague humanity. There is still crying, groaning,

sickness, death, and such. But while God has not promised a life of

uninterrupted joyous bliss, He has promised eternal life in that better

country where all that brings unhappiness will be banished (Rev. 2:14;

7:14-17).

 

We live in a world that is largely dominated by Satan and evil (1 John 5:19).

There is no way we can avoid the unpleasant things that exist where the

devil has such influence. Let us not expect to be free of these. Instead, let

us eagerly expect the blessings God has promised us both in this life and in

that which is to come. ~Barney Keith

 

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:🤔  Don't lower your expectations to meet your performance. ~Ralph Marston