An Alphabet for Change: Observations on a Life TransformedSample

E - Expectancy (hope; anticipation)

“What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven — and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all — life healed and whole.”

~ 1 Peter 1:3-5 (MSG)

Hope is a word thrown around quite a bit these days, but the modern definition is a far cry from what the biblical authors meant when they penned the word over two millennia ago. Hope is defined as “a feeling that what is wanted may happen; desire accompanied by expectation.” I like the word expectation in this definition, but the word “may” does not fit with the hope I am referring to. Expectancy is another word for hope, and I believe it better describes the biblical concept.

According to its usage, the Hebrew and Greek words translated to the word hope are an indication of certainty. It means “a strong and confident expectation,” more akin to the word trust. The authors used this word to convey a confident expectancy. It was something promised that they knew in their hearts would ultimately take place. Read Romans 8:18-25 and listen to how the apostle Paul describes expectancy.

Paul’s words are confident. This is not wishful thinking. This is the joyful anticipation of a promise that will be realized. It is this same expectancy that decades earlier brought a band of shepherds and distinguished scholars (Magi) to visit a baby (Jesus) that had been born in Bethlehem.

The celebration of Christmas is my favorite time of the year. All the colorful lights, joyful Christmas carols, and beautiful decorations that adorn our homes are a precursor to the celebration to come. And our celebrations and gift-giving are symbolic of the gift of Jesus coming to this earth as a newborn to live among us and, one day, pay the price of his life to save us from our sins.

The celebration of Jesus’ birth and the expectancy of that event stirs our souls. It’s the “reason for the season” and the same anticipation I had as a young boy, knowing that some of the gifts wrapped under the tree were meant for me. Now, as an adult, I have come to realize that there are far greater gifts coming — the ones promised by our Heavenly Father.

These gifts are not mere wishes we must cling to as the world defines its version of hope. These are certainties that will come about as promised from the ultimate Promise Keeper. This is the expectancy that we are called to live out every day, no matter what is happening in the world. And when you do, it will not only change your outlook and provide peace, but it will also ignite in you a vision to see where God is moving.

Stepping Toward Transformation:

Biblical hope is expectancy. In many ways, this type of expectancy is closely related to anticipation, but not specifically as the world would define it. It’s the anticipation of what God has promised us, his followers, because of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

If you could live every day of your life with this type of expectancy bubbling over into all of your experiences, how differently would you interact with those around you? What about things like worry or fear? Can they gain footholds in a life filled with expectancy? The answer is...not very easily! Familiarize yourself with God's promises and live with the expectancy that they will happen.

If you were encouraged and/or challenged by this 5-day devotional, I invite you to check out the full Alphabet for Change book (https://goodsoilpress.com/alphabet-for-change.html ) which walks through all twenty-six letters.