Green Pastures
Weekly Devotional
Green Pastures, Quiet Waters
What Do You Expect?
“In the morning, O LORD, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” ( Psalm 5:3 NIV) It doesn’t seem all that many years ago when I would rise quickly in the morning to start my day, eager to begin my daily tasks with enthusiasm. However, as years passed and various physical issues came along it was no longer possible to just leap out of bed and set to work. Bad thing; good thing.
Each morning it is necessary for me to remain in bed until my body is ready to catch up to my brain. I need to do certain bed exercises to make certain my body will cooperate and allow me to put feet to floor with less pain and without falling. While I am still in bed, deciding whether or not it is worth the effort, I spend several minutes with Jesus, surrendering my day to Him and thanking Him for the good night’s rest He nearly always gives me, grateful for another day to serve Him. I report for duty, asking Him to lead me on the path He wants me to follow that day and asking Him to help me to be obedient. I also pray for the people in my life that I know need prayer. That is a conscious habit that has stood me in good stead for a long time. Psalm 5:3 is a favorite verse because it makes me examine my heart regarding my ability to surrender, trust, and be patient. It is not difficult to lay my requests before Him. It’s the next phrase that becomes a bit more difficult – being able to “wait in expectation”.
It means starting each day by prioritizing my relationship with God. King David declared his commitment to morning prayer, laying out his needs before the Lord and waiting patiently with confident anticipation for His response. David chose to give God the "first fruits" of his day, a conscious decision to seek God’s presence before facing the world's distractions.
But for me there is an added aspect to David’s words. He was waiting “in expectation”, meaning he was eager to see what God was going to do in answer to the needs David had laid out before Him.
What did David expect when he prayed?
This verse tells me clearly that he expected God to listen, to intervene in his circumstances, and to actively guide his day. The word “expectation” (NIV), means “eager watching” and demonstrates a confident belief that his requests would be answered according to God’s righteous character. He did not have the attitude “maybe God will hear me / maybe I can count on Him to hear my prayer. He says clearly “YOU HEAR MY VOICE. Then he waits, expecting God to take it from there and do something. Some folks pray with the attitude “O well, it couldn’t hurt to try. Maybe God will do something.”
But why pray if do not expect great things from our great God? Now lest you think I am writing about “name it, claim it theology”, I definitely am not. But the question remains: If we do not believe that God answers our prayers why do we pray? Let’s take some clues from David’s words.
“In the morning, O Lord….” And “in the morning I lay be requests before you….” It seems like David had a good routine. He started his day with prayer. I can attest to what a practical and uplifting habit it is, if it is done with intent to connect with the Lord first thing in the day, asking Him to guide, guard and bless you as go about the day. I always notice the difference if I do not follow my routine. I do not use the word “routine” as something we do without thought, but rather a deliberate and thoughtful connection with the One who kept me through the night and is giving me the opportunity to stay connected with Him through the day.
David did not just utter meaningless words spoken each morning by rote. They were words that let God know the intent of David’s heart. Notice the phrase “wait in expectation”. David was not uttering words into thin air. He expected results. He knew that God cared about the needs laid out before Him. They mattered to the Holy God that David worshipped. But what was David expecting? He was not just expecting God to do David’s bidding. He was expecting God’s best. And he was content to wait, something many of us find difficult to do. God’s answer in God’s time, for God’s purpose.
To be continued………
B. Klassen beatrice.klassen@outlook.com