When Expectations Meet Reality: Finding Hope in Unexpected Places

Have you ever found yourself questioning God's plan when life doesn't unfold the way you expected? Perhaps you've felt confused when your prayers seem unanswered or when God's direction takes you somewhere completely different from where you thought you were headed?

This tension between expectation and reality isn't new. Even John the Baptist, described as the greatest prophet born of woman, wrestled with doubt when circumstances didn't align with his understanding of how God should work.

The Prison of Unmet Expectations
Picture John the Baptist sitting in a dark dungeon, isolated from the vibrant ministry he once had. Just months earlier, crowds flocked to hear him preach in the desert. Now he's confined below ground, arrested for speaking truth to power. And the Messiah he proclaimed? Jesus wasn't assembling armies or overthrowing Roman occupation. Instead, He was healing the sick, opening blind eyes, and raising the dead.

From his prison cell, John sent his disciples to ask Jesus a haunting question: "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?"

This wasn't a question born of weak faith. John had heard the voice of God at Jesus' baptism. He had seen the Spirit descend like a dove. Yet his expectations of what the Messiah would do—leading a political and military revolution—clashed violently with the reality of what Jesus was actually doing.

The Danger of Inverted Vision
We often do the same thing John did. We receive a vision or calling from God, but when it doesn't make immediate sense to us, we try to invert it—to flip it around so it aligns with our understanding rather than God's purposes.

One person experienced an open-eyed vision while reading Scripture at his kitchen table. It was profound and mysterious, connected to what he was reading yet puzzling. His first instinct? To draw it out and then invert it, trying to make it fit his expectations rather than seeking to understand God's perspective.

How often do we do this with Scripture itself? We read God's Word but subtly reshape it to fit our preconceptions rather than allowing it to transform our thinking entirely.

The Biblical Call to Repentance
Both John the Baptist and Jesus preached the same message: "Repent, for the kingdom of God is near." But what does repentance really mean?

At its core, repentance means to change your mind—to fundamentally shift your expectations and understanding. It's not just about feeling sorry for sins committed. It's about a complete reorientation of how we think about God, His kingdom, and His ways of working in the world.

The kingdom of God isn't primarily about political power or earthly success. It's about God's rule and reign breaking into our lives and circumstances. Where God rules, the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, and good news is proclaimed to the poor. These are signs not of military conquest but of spiritual transformation.

Greater Than John the Baptist
Here's a stunning truth: Scripture tells us that the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John the Baptist. How can this be?

John lived under the old covenant. He pointed toward Christ but didn't experience what we now have access to—the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. After Jesus' resurrection, He breathed on His disciples and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." At Pentecost, the Spirit came to live not just upon believers but within them.

This means that every Christian, regardless of age, status, or ability, has access to a power and intimacy with God that even the greatest Old Testament prophet didn't experience. We don't just have the Spirit upon us for specific tasks; we have the Spirit living within us, transforming us from the inside out.

The Lie We Believe About Aging
Our culture tells a destructive lie, especially to those in their later years: aging means decline, weakness, and fading into irrelevance. The message is subtle but clear—your best days are behind you, so step back and make room for others.

This couldn't be further from the biblical model.

Abraham was 75 when he received God's promise of a child. Moses was 80 at the burning bush when his greatest work was just beginning. The Psalmist declares that "the righteous will bear fruit in old age and stay fresh and green" (Psalm 92:14).

In God's kingdom, your final years aren't meant for decline but for divine appointment. Yes, the body may be weakening, but as 2 Corinthians 4:16 reminds us: "Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day."

God never retires His servants. Your story isn't ending—your spirit should be more alive, more surrendered, and more purposeful than ever before.

The Path Forward: Believe, Receive, Concede
How do we move from unmet expectations to transformed lives? Through a three-fold process:

Believe what the Bible says about Jesus. This isn't just the Gospels but the entire Scripture. Over 350 prophecies in the Old Testament point to Christ. The whole Bible is woven with His presence and purpose.

Receive the Holy Spirit daily. Ask God to fill you, lead you, and enlighten His Word not just to your head but to your heart. This isn't a one-time event but a daily surrender to God's presence and power.

Concede or surrender every area of your life to God's will. This is where transformation happens. It's not about having more faith or doing more Bible study—it's about more surrender. Not my will, but Your will be done.

Blessed Are Those Not Offended
Jesus told John's disciples, "Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me." Another translation says, "Blessed is anyone who is not offended on account of me."

How does God offend us? By not meeting our expectations. How do we avoid offense? By staying humble and surrendered, refusing to buy into culture's lies about God, ourselves, or our purpose.

The fear of giving everything to God is real. But 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us: "For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-discipline."

Your Burning Bush Moment
What is God calling you to in this season? Who is He asking you to walk alongside in discipleship? What areas of your life still need surrender?

Your burning bush moment may not look like Moses' or feel like a dramatic vision. It might be a quiet conviction, a persistent thought, or a door that keeps opening despite your resistance.

God's love grows in us as we surrender. His peace deepens as we trust. His joy emerges even when circumstances remain difficult.

The question isn't whether God is working. The question is whether we're willing to release our expectations and embrace His reality—which is always better, always higher, and always more glorious than anything we could imagine.