Expectation, Anticipation, & Participation Part 3 By Rayola Kelley

We have been looking at expectation, anticipation and participation. In February’s article I did not bring out this particular theme because I was dealing with the subject of love, but love is very much a part of the aspect of what we expect, as well as anticipate, and to what extent we participate in our relationships with others, including the Lord. Due to the type of love we possess, selfish, self-centered, self-serving, or sacrificial will determine what we expect from love when it comes to others including God.

Love also gives us a platform in which we anticipate that certain actions and responses will be evident, but such evidence is often based on our idea of love and not really a healthy love that submits to that which is worthy of consideration and prefers the well-being of others over itself. The expectation of love leaves us often angry when it is not reciprocated in a certain way, and the anticipation of it leaves us hurt and disillusioned when we measure what we consider to be the “sub-standard” responses of others with our ideas or definition of love.

When it comes to participation in the arena of love, we participate in our relationship with others based on certain factors such as how much we put into our relationship in light of what we think we will get out of it. Sometimes our participation in the relationship is a matter of control. We use certain mechanisms that are considered to be love as a way to get others to prove they love us by playing certain games that will manipulate emotions like a yo-yo. Such manipulation begins like this, “If you love me,” and if one does not perform accordingly, they are often left with guilt and condemnation. Those who need proof of one’s love are either insecure about their relationship with someone or are insecure about their worth as to whether they are worthy of such love; thereby, they must have it reaffirmed constantly.

This is one of the problems with God’s love. People have certain unrealistic expectations towards God’s love and anticipate certain results because of His love. It is often one-sided and the one that has the responsibility to make sure I am taken care of is the other party who must somehow listen to my standards and demands to prove their intentions. In the end, these results are very conditional in determining how much the person will participate when it comes to their love for God and others.

As pointed out our participation with God in our relationship with Him is often very conditional even though we proclaim to others His love is unconditional. We expect Him to overlook sin because He loves us, anticipate that He will accept our left-overs, and receive crumbs when it comes to our participation in our relationship with Him. However, when it comes to His love for us, we expect Him to prove it or perform according to our idea of love whether or not it is Scriptural and in compliance to His divine attributes.

This brings us to the reality that godly love can’t remain quiet when it sees one in danger. Much like a responsible watchman on the wall, it will warn, contend with, and for, such souls out of love. Real love often requires us to get involved with those we are given a burden for and to become a type of watchman, not only over the well-being of others, but also our own well-being.

Adam was given dominion over the garden in Genesis 1:26. He was told to dress and keep it in Genesis 2:15. Dress had to do with maintaining the integrity of the environment to ensure service and worship, while keeping and protecting it from any intrusion that would possibly defile it. Basically, Adam had to keep the enemy out to maintain his relationship with God, but we know the rest of story. He dropped the ball on his responsibilities and the question is, why? Did he not love God enough and prefer Eve over himself as he witnessed her being tempted by the serpent in Genesis 3:6? Did he think what was going on was no big deal? This is speculation, but for the most part that is the way we are about the enemies of God, the adversaries of our own soul. We are indifferent or complicit.

Ezekiel was called to be such a watchman in his day. He was warned if he didn’t warn the people of the judgment coming that their blood would be on his hands in Ezekiel 3:16-21. What does it mean to be a watchman? A watchman watches with expectation while anticipating that what has already been established as prophetic will play out, while participating in preparing God’s people for the inevitable.

Jesus is clear that in the end days we are to be watchmen (Matthew 24:42-43). Will people take a watchman seriously? The answer is that many probably won’t because they have not been prepared to hear such warnings. Whether they are asleep or living in some fanciful bubble about the end days they may mock it; but, it doesn’t matter how others respond, we are to be responsible watchmen.

Watchmen have mandates to guard the wall. After all, the wall is the only thing that stands between our enemies and us. Walls represent protection, but sometimes they can become tombs. What wall do we have in our lives? Is it a wall that keeps our enemies out or is a wall that entombs us in ways that will prove to be our downfall, demise or destruction?

Enemies will examine walls to find places of weakness because we have failed to shore them up by faith, or to find places they can breach because we are not maintaining our Christian life. Perhaps there are “cracks” because we have failed to examine openings brought on by neglect when it comes to the Word of God. Perhaps we have let our guard down due to becoming casual about our enemies.

As a watchman, we need to know what we are looking for as a means to warn others. There will be no excuse because I have learned if we desire to truly know what is going on, the Lord will reveal the right sources, lead us to that which will bring revelation and help us walk through the minefield of information. To know what we are looking for we must have an awareness of what is going on around us to rightly discern the prophetic signs of our times. To fail to have such understanding shows a lack of faith in light of God’s Word, disobedience to our responsibility as watchmen, and a contempt towards God as we secretly scoff at His exhortations. Keep in mind, much will seem normal, but like in the days of Noah, wickedness will be great and judgment is at hand (Matthew 24:37-39; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9).

We must be occupying to be ready for what is happening. Occupying is preparing for our Lord’s return and spiritually we must make sure we are not choosing to be ignorant towards what is unpleasant reality, while sharpening our sword, the Word, so we can stand, while making sure we daily dress the wick of our lives as we ensure the oil in our lamps so the light can shine when it comes to others who are seeking the light in this great darkness. This means getting the Word of God in us so that when things happen, the Holy Spirit can bring to light what our response needs to be. We must know our Shepherd, the Bridegroom’s voice, and be prepared to rise up in great darkness when our Lord’s call goes forth to meet Him (Matthew 5:16; Mark 13:11; Luke 19:13; Hebrews 4:12).

Finally, we must be praying. We are to pray that we are found worthy to escape the great hour of testing of our faith (Luke 21:36). May we always allow the Lord to bring us to the ovens that will refine our faith before such a testing comes upon us. We must pray to endure to the end to see the complete result of our faith: Salvation (Matthew 24:13; 1 Peter 1:5-9). We must possess our souls in patience and gird up our loins with truth to make sure we will withstand, and pray for others of the household of faith, that they too will stand in great darkness (Luke 21:19; Ephesians 6:10-18; 1 Peter 1:13).

Prayer keeps our focus where it needs to be and it reminds us that it is about seeking God’s will so that in the end, He will have His way in a matter (1 John 5:14). The goal of prayer is to make sure when all is said and done, we are standing with God in all He is doing and not standing in front of Him, behind Him, or opposing Him. Prayer puts us in the way of God, keeps us focusing on His righteous way of doing, and gives us the assurance that no matter what, God’s way will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). After all, He does all things well.

Once again, we come back to the bottom line. We must be ready. Ready points to preparation that has been brought to some type of completion. The act of preparation shows expectation, the right type of preparation points to anticipation, and being ready shows the wisdom necessary to properly participate. This type of preparation entails being aware of what is happening, engaging in what needs to be done, and doing all that can be reasonably done.

The greatest preparation is one that is spiritual. We have no clue as to the preparation to survive the affronts of the flesh and the world and if it will ever be enough, but if we are in spiritual shape, we will be able to not only survive, but endure to the end when salvation can be fully realized. Whether it is salvation of our souls, deliverance of our body, setting free of our spirit, or the liberation of the mind from the fearful insanity of our times, we will have the necessary freedom to walk out the life and calling of God until our potential can be realized and we have finally entered through the door of glory to be in the presence of our Lord forever and ever.

In the end, may we in great confidence because we know where we stand in spiritual readiness, be able to pray, “Even so, come Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).