Expectations…A strong belief that something will happen in the future.  We all have expectations for how we want our lives to turn out, who our children will be when they grow up, and our hopes for a bright future in our jobs.  When our expectations are not met, we feel disappointed.  Sometimes we feel so disappointed that it can be quite depressing; especially if that disappointment can change the outcome of our tomorrow.  Over -and -over again, God did the unexpected.

In 1 Samuel 16:1-23, Samuel is appointed once again to anoint a King.  Saul messed up and did not do as the Lord commanded, so the Spirit was taken from him (ouch!).  I believe that sometimes the power is too much and then one losses sight of what is really expected of them.  And so, I believe was the case with Saul.  So, now the Lord has sent Samuel to anoint a new king, who was the son of Jesse.  Jesse had eight sons!  God told Samuel that he would not know by the way this King would look – “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because …the Lord does not see as mortals see;…the Lord looks on the heart” (vv.6-7).  And so, all the sons come before Samuel, except one.  Samuel asked, “Are these all your sons?”  Jesse replies, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep” (v.11).   When they brought the young, handsome boy in before Samuel, he was anointed King.  The one who no one would ever ‘expect’ to be King of Israel.

And, so it was with Jesus too.  Jesus was not the King that the people expected.  They had expectations that their new Messiah – King of the Jews – would rule like a human king.  They were disappointed when that didn’t happen.  But, what they got instead, was a King that would save their souls – give them new hearts, and change them into a different people of God.  It was more than they could ever fathom or understand.  At least until that day when they met their King face-to-face.  I have a gut feeling we will not be disappointed.

Let us pray, Gracious God, our expectations are so limited when it comes to you.  Help us to let you dream our dreams for us because we cannot grasp what you have in store for us.  We love you so much. Amen.