When God’s Will is Different than We Expected

I’ve often wondered what happened to the shepherds once their part in the first Christmas was over. Perhaps they waited and watched for the time when the newborn King would be grown, taking His throne and delivering Israel from the tyranny of Rome. That was the common Jewish expectation of what the Messiah would do, and I wonder if they weren’t just a little disappointed when that didn’t happen.

The truth is, we often take one little piece of God’s will and build our expectations around it, just as many of the Jewish people had done. God had said that the Messiah would save Israel from their enemies, and there is plenty of Scripture that refers to Jesus taking part in the final judgement to come, but that was not the purpose of His first coming, and many missed it because Jesus didn’t fit their expectations of the Messiah.

Tragically, this would mean for many that they rejected the only One who could save them from their sins. For that was the purpose of His first coming: to rescue us from the penalty of our sin and to defeat our ultimate enemy, Satan, once and for all.

Last December, I made some goals. By February, I had many plans in place and had a definite direction I thought the year would take. By the end of March, all that had been swept away. I know this is probably your story as well, and as we approach the start of another new year, I thought it would be good for us to take a moment and check our expectations for the new year.

This past week has been particularly difficult, and it’s been tempting to let myself get wrapped up in my own disappointed expectations, but a friend sent me a verse that helped get my focus in the right place. It was from Psalm 62, which seemed like the perfect passage to share with you at the close of a year like 2020. Read through it slowly, with the year in mind, and see how God encourages you:

Psalm 62

“Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from Him cometh my salvation.

He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.

How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? Ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.

They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him.

He only is my rock and my salvation He is my defence; I shall not be moved.

In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.

Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.

Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.

God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.

Also unto Thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to His work.”

In this psalm, we are reminded of God’s power, and that He is not ignoring the wickedness that goes on all around us. We are reminded that He is our salvation, defense, and refuge.

We can trust Him.

When we remember these truths, we will not be shaken, no matter how different God’s will turns out to be from how we imagined it. Instead, we will pour out our hearts before Him in trusting submission to all that He allows, finding Him alone to be our place of safety, comfort, and peace.