By PASTOR BRANDON YOUNG
Our disposition in life can be one of dread or anticipation. According to Webster’s Dictionary, a disposition is a “prevailing tendency, mood, or inclination.” For the most part, outlook on life is dreadful, even as Christians. We may periodically look forward to and anticipate vacations, holidays, and other forms of recreation, but for the most part, we fear everything else about life. Oftentimes, we even dread the vacations and holidays, and can’t wait for them to be over! How sad! We find something to continually worry and upset us, and this is not the will of God. Jesus Christ did not give us life so we could go through our life dreading most days.
Anticipation, according to Webster’s Dictionary, is to “believe in the future occurrence of (something): a feeling of excitement about something that is going to happen: the act of preparing for something.” Our English word, “anticipate” comes from a Latin word “anticipate”, which meant to “take care of ahead of time” or literally, “taking into possession beforehand.” We should be preparing for what God is going to do in our lives, and we should live life with an expectancy that God is going to do wonderful things that we cannot even comprehend.
As I was pondering this thought, my mind immediately went to a group of men and women in the Bible that had an overwhelming sense of dread. You can find this passage of scripture in Acts, chapter 1, and we read beginning with verse 8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
The disciples and followers of Jesus had ridden an emotional roller coaster. They had been with Jesus day and night for over three years and watched him heal, raise the dead, die a horrible death of crucifixion, and then resurrect after three days! They thought they lost him for good, and then he resurrected and spent 40 more days with them. I am positive they thought the changes were over, and they could finally settle down and be with Jesus for the rest of their lives. Then as Jesus spoke to them, he ascended in a cloud as they stood watching.
It was at this moment a feeling of dread, discouragement, and doom descended. They felt the one they loved and cared for had abandoned them for good, and now they were left alone to fight this battle. What they did not fully realize is the same Jesus that they had walked beside was about to indwell within them in the form of the Holy Ghost, never to depart again. He would not be the God standing beside them, but instead he would be God living within them! Now that is something to shout about for sure!
In fact, Jesus stated in the verse 8 above that they would receive power but they did not fully understand. Instead of anticipating and expecting something amazing to happen in the upper room where Christ had commanded them to go and wait, they gathered in fear, dread, and sadness over their loss. We do the same thing day after day! We often say, “I dread work tomorrow, or I dread having to do………………..” You can fill in the blank. We should lay down at night with an expectation and anticipation about what wonderful things God will do if the morrow comes, and be prepared to receive the blessings of the Lord! We should never allow Satan to cause us to view the day the Lord blessed us with dread and discouragement. Every day should be a day of rejoicing, as we reap from God what we expected and anticipated! I would like to close with four principles of anticipation that I found from my studies on this topic from a blog written by Helen Calder:
1. Anticipation is an expression of faith.
Anticipation is about preparing and making room for what you know is yours by faith. It is getting ready for what God has told you is coming. Anticipation is an expression of faith. Anticipation comes with evidence. It is visible, and it is powerful.
2. Anticipation will Attract Opposition
Anticipation is so powerful that the enemy will try and prevent it. Anticipation attracts resistance from Satan. Your anticipation must be bold and daring at times. At other times, anticipation will consist of taking the next small step by faith — sometimes as an act of warfare — in the midst of trial, delay, and darkness.
3. God Restores Anticipation
When anticipation has been lost, God’s plan is to restore it. It’s time to go back to the original promise and instruction that God gave to you. It’s time to go to scripture for the truth about who God is, and who He says you are. It’s time to receive a fresh word from the Holy Spirit that will spur you on, to continue acting in faith.
4. Anticipation Leads to Breakthrough
To anticipate is to position for God’s purpose. Anticipation is about alignment. It is placing your bucket under the spout so God can fill you! Anticipation is more than expectation. It is expect-action. It is faith in motion. Anticipation is David running towards Goliath, a slingshot and stone in his hand. Anticipation is Elijah sending his servant to look for a cloud in the sky. Anticipation is a powerful spiritual principle. It is also practical. Anticipation means taking steps forward. Your anticipation and acts of obedience, led and empowered by the Holy Spirit, will bring breakthrough as you take possession of God’s promise by faith.
Let’s decide today to not live another day in dread, but let’s look up expecting and anticipating God to reveal his power to us!
(The Solution Column is provided by Pastor Brandon Young of Harmony Free Will Baptist Church, Hampton, and his associate, Hunter Greene.)