Expect the best

Someone recently said to me "Expect the worst and hope for the best." While I understand that she meant I should have a backup in case my plans fail, I find it to be a terrible saying. It misinterprets the power of expectation which is a form of faith. Your expectation is the belief that what you're hoping for is actually going to happen, and not a backup plan to take care of yourself in case it doesn’t. The scriptures say that the expectation of the righteous shall not be cut off.

It is impossible to hope for God's best if you're believing for the worst. You can’t hope to pass your driving test if you expect to fail. How can you hope to get the job you badly need if you're expecting to get turned down.

There is the story of Peter from the bible who walked on water to meet Jesus. I can’t imagine what would have happened to Peter on the Sea if he had been expecting the worst as he stepped out. That terrible expectation would have started him off by drowning, then hopefully Jesus would pull him back to the surface. But Peter did not expect the worst, No! he started by expecting and hoping for the best. Jesus asked him to come out of the boat, and he did not see any reason why not. Peter believed he can go to Him walking on the waves, and he did just that but not for long because his fear got the better of him, and his faith stopped holding him up. Jesus rebuked him for expecting the worst. When he believed he could walk on water, he did.

When God calls we should have such a strong expectation of the best that we are prepared to place the ball of our foot into uncertain waters. He says to us today "Come to Me, Come toward the future I have for you’. Expect the best. Hope for the best. Give Him the glory in all things.