God has something even better

He didn’t meet your expectations—that’s okay, now He will exceed them.

I’m learning that I don’t want God to meet my expectations. Maybe that sounds crazy. You know the heartbreak of unmet expectations. The disappointment. The pain. So why on earth would I not want God to meet my expectations?

He’s teaching me that He wants to exceed them, instead.

This week, I’d like to share with you the story of how I began writing these weekly articles. Typically, this isn’t something I do; however, I feel as if it will help someone.

A little over a month ago, I discovered an opportunity to share one of my writings. While scrolling through the newspaper app, I realized that I could submit to the Faith and Family magazine. I was excited. One of my favorite columns was going to be published in a Christian magazine—at least, that was what I expected.

But that’s not what God had in store. A few days later, I received the news that my column was too big to be published in the magazine.

Sure, it was disappointing. But with the bad news came good news. The next week, my column would be published in the actual newspaper! It wasn’t long, though, before I learned that my column was too big for the newspaper, too. I guess I have a tendency of being gabby with the pen.

For a while, I went with the assumption that my column would be published the next week. This was my thought process on March 1st—the day I got out of school early for tornadoes. On this Wednesday, I was told that I needed to send in something around 700 words. Considering that my column was well over a thousand words, I decided to write a new article on the subject “Trust harder than you try.” After sending it in, I was excited to see my article in the Point Pleasant Register.

The next day, I received more news. This time, it was news that exceeded my expectations. Until this point, much of the news I’d received didn’t even meet my expectations. But now, I was told that my article would be published in more than just the Point Pleasant Register. Instead, it would be published in all three local newspapers.

God also exceeded my expectations in another way. Although I hadn’t comprehended it fully at the time, the newspaper had asked me to write—not just this week—but each week!

It went from a one-time deal to a weekly article. From one magazine to three newspapers. Why? It definitely wasn’t because God met all of my expectations. I didn’t expect this. But for some reason in His marvelous grace, God chose to exceed my expectations and give me an amazing opportunity. Now every Friday, my God-inspired articles are published in all three newspapers—all because God refused to meet my expectations in order to exceed them.

Today, I want to encourage you. If you find yourself wondering why God never meets your expectations, it could be that He wants to exceed them instead. Maybe you serve a God who wants to take you deeper than yourself. Maybe you serve a God who wants to accomplish more through your life than you’ve ever dreamed. Maybe there’s something better beyond what you see today.

According to Ephesians 3:20, you serve such a God.

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”

This is one of my favorite Bible verses. If you’d asked me a month ago, I would’ve told you that it’s because I believe it to be true. But if you asked me today, I’d not only tell you that I believe it to be true. I’d tell you that I know it to be true.
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If you’re finding yourself disappointed with unmet expectations, know that God has something even better.