Why you need to have Positive Expectations
You can confidently expect good to happen in your future.
What if I told you that you could live a life filled with joy and contentment despite all that is going on around you? What if I say to you that God has a good plan for you? Your current circumstance can sometimes make this difficult to believe, but as I look back at my past, I realize that this can be true for anyone who chooses to see life through the lens of hope. Friends, hope is not wishful thinking or whimsical fantasy of something like I hope things will work out for me. No, it is far more profound than that
So, what is hope? I want to focus on the root word for hope. It comes from the Greek word Elpis meaning favorable and confident expectation of good in the future. The Apostle Paul said in Rom 15:13, “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit”. NLT
Can trusting in God give us confident hope for the future? Friends, I want to take this opportunity to show you through the life of a young man called Joseph from the Bible; that it doesn’t matter what people do to you or what happens to you in life; God will fulfill His plans for you.
You don’t need to be jealous or hateful.
Joseph was hated by his brothers simply because he told them about a dream he had. (See Gen. 37:5). All Joseph offered his brother at that juncture of his life were “WORDS” nothing more than words. Do you realize how powerful words are that someone can hate you for words? This hate led Joseph’s brother to plot to kill him. However, this plot couldn’t have materialized because of God’s plan for Joseph. So his brothers had no choice but to sell him to Ishmaelite traders, who eventually sold him to Potiphar in Egypt. (See Gen. 18-28; 36).
The hate that Joseph’s brothers felt for him stemmed from jealousy. They hated him because they felt God had a good plan for him, but they couldn’t see that God also had a good plan for them. They were comparing themselves to him and ultimately became competitive. Friends, the truth of the matter is that God’s resources are limitless. He doesn’t have to deprive you of a blessing to give to someone else. God isn’t blessing anyone at your expense. So why does it matter so much; how God chooses to distribute His blessing?
You don’t have to waste your time coveting the life of others when God wants to give you a great life of your own. You see, my friend, there is no need to engage in petty jealousy, unnecessary comparison, and useless competition because God has a good and unique plan for everyone who trusts Him.
You can still have hope in times of challenges.
The Ishmaelites sold Joseph into slavery to Potiphar, and the scripture said that the Lord was with Joseph, and He made everything he did to succeed. (See Gen 39:2) As Joseph flourished in the house of his master Potiphar, Potiphar’s wife began looking at him lustfully and wanted to sleep with him. When the young man refused to subject himself to her wishes and choose to honor God, she accused him of raping her.
I am so happy that this event didn’t take place in our time. I can imagine how this innocent young man would have made world headlines, and this episode would have been shared continuously on social media and tweeted and re-tweeted. We may have judged this man without even taking the time to consider the possibility of his innocence.
Joseph, an innocent man, was sent to prison, but the scripture says that the Lord was with Joseph and showed him his faithful love. (Gen 39:21).
Beloved, Isn’t it is comforting to know that God is still with you, even if something terrible happens to you? The devil would use those closest and most influential in your life to convince you that God is against you because you experienced some trouble. He does this because he wants you to believe it. But know that as long as you put your trust in God, He is for you and has a good plan for you.
God will reveal your gift in your most challenging season.
It was in the prison that Joseph discovered his gift for interpreting dreams. It was this very gift that ushered him into the house of Pharaoh. (See Gen. 41:41-44). Beloved, God can cause you to discover your most precious gift in the most challenging season of your life. The gift will make room for you and present you before great men. (See Prov. 18:16). Joseph was given full charge of the entire land of Egypt, second in command after Pharaoh. God did not only fulfill Joseph’s dream, but he placed him in a position to ensure that his brothers who betrayed him and his father Jacob’s house be saved alive in the time of famine. God’s promise to those who put their trust in him is that in the time of famine, they will be satisfied. (See Ps. 37:19).
God will fulfill His promise to you.
It took 13 years from the time God gave Joseph the dream to the time it manifested. The baker and chief cup-bearer of Pharaoh benefited from Joseph’s gift but forgot about him in prison. However, when the time came, God used the very cup-bearer to elevate Joseph. My friend, when your time comes, nothing or no one could stop you!
God will use you to be a blessing.
It is incredible to see how God not only brought Joseph to a place of honor but humility. When Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, they were troubled at his presence, but he lovingly embraced them and told them that they should not grieve since what they meant for evil God meant it for good to preserve lives. (See Gen. 45:4-8). Beloved, the very thing the devil uses to bring you down, God will use it to catapult you into your destiny. The same people who hurt you, God can put you in a position to bless them. You see, putting your trust in God means that everything will work out for your good. (See Rom. 8:28) and when God blesses you, it is to make you a blessing to others!