APRIL 27 JQ#11.6 The Jesus Questions

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

APRIL  27  JQ#11 - What are your spiritual expectations?

365 Prayers to JESUS 

Jesus, Lord, another morning I awake and it is overwhelming to thank that You Lord are right here to answer my prayers and concerns and provide for my daily bread. Lord, how did I live all the years trying to make it through this valley of the shadow of death without You? Jesus, I will continue to lift up my praises to You for what You’ve already done which is more than I deserve and give You honor for the Grace You have given to me. Lord, forgive me of all my shortcomings and strengthen me as I daily try to Glorify God.  

The Jesus Questions

JQ#11.6 — “What are your spiritual expectations of Jesus?” Matthew 11:7. The previous lesson the Master taught using the sparrows and copper coin question was to make us aware of our “Spiritual value” to the kingdom and now Jesus is asking a question to make us aware of another kingdom Truth that our expectations of the Messiah affects our spiritual vision. A. W. Tozer in his book “The Knowledge of the Holy” addresses JQ#11 in the most powerful way as Tozer names the first chapter “Why We Must Think Rightly About God” and in his opening prayer to start Chapter 1 Tozer prays: “O Lord God Almighty, not the God of the philosophers and the wise but the God of the prophets and apostles…[those that do not know the True God] worship Thee as a creature of their own fancy…[but] enlighten our minds that we may know Thee as Thou art, so that we may perfectly love Thee and worthily praise Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen”.  Tozer’s first sentence in his insightful book is the most powerful and answers JQ#11 perfectly when Tozer writes: “What comes to our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Tozer is most likely answering the Jesus question about our “spiritual expectations” of God with that opening prayer and first sentence and if we look at the context in Matthew 11 immediately following JQ#11 found in Matthew 11:7-9 Jesus encourages our personal discipleship and prays to the Father: “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.” (Matthew 11:25) Tozer, if he intended it or not, is giving all the right answers to JQ#11 as he writes an entire book about who God really is and states in an opening prayer that we should know God as he reveals Himself to us and not the God conjured up by “philosophers”. Tozer says that we should “think rightly about God” and then makes it clear that the “most important thing about us” is what we “expect” from God”. Just after Jesus had asked the multitudes “What did you ‘expect’ to see?” He then draws our attention to great cities that would come under future judgement because they had different “expectations” for the Messiah therefore they saw the Divine work of the Messiah but rejected “His mighty works…and did not repent!” (see Matthew 11:11-24) Then after Jesus announces the judgement on those that have false expectations of the Son of God, the Father God, and the Holy Spirit, Jesus assures us that if we will accept Jesus as the Son of God sent by the Father as the True Messiah then Jesus will reveal Himself and the Father to us. Jesus concludes that if we “Come to [Him],” then He will give us rest. Jesus concludes with this promise: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:30) Be honest, were your “Expectations of Jesus”  to find rest for your troubled souls? Our “expectations” can be linked to our “faith” and how often did Jesus say, “Your faith has made your well.”?