Expectancy?

EXPECTANCY?

By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. (Hebrews 11:7) 

What comes to your mind when you hear the word expectancy? If your like me, you might picture an "expectant" mother eagerly anticipating the long awaited arrival of her offspring. Some may think more along the lines of life "expectancy". One speaks of arrival (birth) and the other of departure (death). While these are weighty matters that are certainly worthy of our deliberation, there is another form of expectancy that requires our urgent attention. I am speaking of that form of expectancy that accompanies the christian life. As believers we must  constantly and consistently find ourselves on the edge of expectancy. You might be asking, "expecting, expecting what?" The obvious answer would be the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the rapture (1 Thess. 4:17). After all, we should be on the edge of our seat awaiting the imminent return of the Lord for His bride. However, the expectancy that I want to address comes to us via the life of that great ship builder Noah. We read in Hebrews 11 that Noah brazenly proved his obedience to God by doing the unthinkable. For a more through account of the warning that God issued to Noah, read Genesis 6:5-22. In the context of Genesis chapter 6 we soon discover the our dear brother Noah faced monumental challenges. First of all, Noah had to stomach the idea that God was about to destroy virtually everything and everyone on the face of the earth. (No local flood here). 

Secondly, it was at the command of God that Noah began to build a boat that certainly would have  superseded anything known at the time. It is likely that Noah may have never even seen a boat. The construction of such a large vessel would take Noah 120 years to construct. It is worth our notice to observe that he was about 500 years old when he began to hammer away on this titanic vessel that would have to navigate the rough waters of the flood in order to deliver he and his family to safety. Thirdly, It seems reasonable to assume that Noah may have never even seen it rain, much less a flood of of this magnitude! However, Noah was a man of great faith. For God openly testified that, "Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God" ( Genesis 6:9). 

Obviously, Noah's faith separated him from all others, including those in his family. While 7 others were  also spared the watery grave of the flood, it was only Noah's faith that was spoken of in such exquisite terms. In short, he took God at His word. Noah truly expected God to do exactly what He said He would do. It was because of his faith that Noah moved into action. "In reverence he prepared and ark" (Hebrews 11:7). 

Beloved, when was the last time you exercised your faith in God? Can you  honestly say that you expected God to move or manifest Himself in some way as a result of your faith? So many arrive at church week after week, arguably to worship that King of Kings, yet they never really expect God to move. If you and I  anticipate that nothing will happen, then we should expect nothing to happen. Please understand me, I am just as convicted by this as you are. O' Lord, forgive us of our myopia. May our expectations increasingly rise as well as our arms in praise to the only ONE who can deliver us from destruction and set our feet on solid ground.