Adventurously Expectant

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father. Romans 8:15

 

God has recently shown me I am not nearly as creative as Him. Especially in my thinking.

You see I am prone to black and white thinking when it comes to circumstances. They are either bad or good. And I am the one defining them.

Just recently, I found out that the editor for my second book was taking a break from editing. Another editor would need to take over. I was also told this may require more hours which means more money.

All of this sounded bad. Right? How would you have labeled this news?

I was even more discouraged about this book. Which is a lot to say. The process of this book from writing, to editing, to financing the publication has been one hiccup after huge mountain in my way for almost three years now.

I was about ready to throw in the proverbial towel - the whole book!

But God is infinitely more creative and oh so much better than my good and bad labeling ever gives Him credit for.

You see months prior, facing one of those other big mountains in my way, I had prayed for God to just send some reason why I should keep going. I was asking gut wrenching questions in my discouragement like is this even worth it? Is this book even any good?

And He decided to use this next hiccup to answer that prayer.

After reading and finishing up the editing review, the new editor told the project manager to tell me, " I REALLY enjoyed her writing style and her message. It really spoke to me ... or, rather, God spoke to me powerfully through it."

Wow God.

It was then I was reminded of  Romans 8:15-17.

Let's read it in the message version first because it really captures the essence of how to live out our heirship as adopted sons and daughters.

This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him!  Romans 8:15-17 MSG

God encourages us to be adventurously expectant in all circumstances. He calls us to know that we are His precious children and that He is using all things for our good, even if they are bad right now. (Romans 8:28.) He calls us to have that childlike faith. And isn't that so true about kids? They are always looking for the next thing expecting good even when everything is not great.

Now this of course doesn't mean all things we experience are good and that we have to try and pretend they are. We can lament like David, while still looking to the future glory. Paul goes on to explain that "And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering." Romans 8:17 NIV.

It is to God's glory that we are refined and our faith is made strong. Therefore what we label as bad may actually be God's good that He has planned. What I had labeled as bad was actually God's goodness for a fellow sister and me.

I don't know about you, but from now on I am going to try and live more adventurously expectant. I am going to expect God to show up with good in things that seem really bad. I am going to broaden my thinking, taking bad news with a more adventurous childlike spirit, saying, "what's next Papa?" Will you join me?

 

Secondly, I needed to learn what God's promises actually are. I had a lot of misconceptions about God's promises from growing up in the American church culture. So, I started a log of promises that I would run into in my Bible Study (see Know God's Heart devotion here) in the back of my day planner.

Example from our scripture today:

And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering." Romans 8:17 NIV.

Promise: We are God's children, heirs to His Glory when we share in His sufferings as well as His Glory.