Anticipation
“Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (James 4: 13 – 17)
Doubtless, all of us anticipate various events in our lives, including gathering as saints to worship God the Father. Anticipation is a part of our being, a part of our dreams, hopes, expectations, etc. We find ourselves scheduled by the anticipations of our lives: doctor appointments, work, school, birthdays, anniversaries, vacations, etc. It isn’t the anticipation of these things that is wrong, but the thinking they will come without God’s direction! Read again James 4: 15!
Our lives have become so “routine” in many respects that the “unexpected” is seldom anticipated. Perhaps this is one of the reasons so many people panic at emergencies or crises. They have felt in control of every situation within their lives for so long, they have forgotten that God is in control!
Others, though acknowledging God is in control, express a type of reservation about “how much” God controls. For example, when death comes to the aged, and the deceased is not a relative, you hear expressions like, “Well, it was his time,” or, “He was in ill health, and it was expected.” But when death comes unexpectedly to anyone, family or not, you hear expressions like, “That’s horrible,” or “What a shame, they were so young and in good health.” Few if any people anticipate their departure from this life to be unexpected! They simply don’t “anticipate” dying! Most folks anticipate living for many years to come!
The fact is we do anticipate nearly every aspect of our lives, expect the “unexpected.” We’re taught to anticipate: “Expect stormy weather,” “Expect careless drivers,” “Expect the sun to come up in the morning,” etc. Spiritually, we anticipate several things as well: We anticipate singing, praying, preaching, communion, and giving on the first day of the week. We anticipate sitting in our customary places and seeing the usual familiar faces of our brethren. We anticipate no problems, no interruptions to the usual; we anticipate because it has always been this way and therefore, we anticipate even the anticipated! But …
How many of us anticipate heaven eternal? Oh, I know, we all expect to go there, but what preparations have we made for assuring our souls of that eternity? Is our anticipation “expectation” regardless of our present spiritual standing in God’s eyes? Have we forgotten He sees us better than we care to see ourselves, (viz. with honesty, and without prejudice), and will reward every soul according to his/her works whether they be good or bad? (2 Corinthians 5:10) If we anticipate heaven’s eternity, then we prepare for it and remain prepared as we anticipate the Lord’s return! (2 Timothy 4:7 – 8; Revelation 2:10; 2 Peter 1: 1 – 11).
To anticipate is defined as “to be beforehand in thought or action”. How often do we anticipate the Lord’s return? How often do we anticipate the opportunities to praise Him, serve Him, speak of Him to others, and obey Him in all we say and do? Is it not the case that most “just do it” without giving much thought to the reverence, honor, and dignity due to our God? Do we anticipate the worship service and prepare beforehand the songs we wish to sing, the prayers we desire to ask of Him, the lessons we desire to learn from His word, the thoughts we wish to think as we partake of the Lord’s memorial, and our generosity as we give? If not, then what type of anticipation do we express for such occasions of worship?
Yes, while we must anticipate the Lord’s return, also known as Judgment Day, it is equally important to anticipate our worship and our daily service to Him. Preface it all with “If the Lord will,” and your anticipation will remain in compliance with His will instead of your own. Let’s serve God with anticipation (readiness) of His approval!