Expect a Progressive Miracle

God is continuing to deal with me in this area of expectation. In his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Maxwell talks about the “The Law of the Lid” that states Leadership ability determines a person’s level of effectiveness. In other words, those who follow you cannot advance any farther than you, and therefore, you as a leader must constantly be developing yourself. The results of not developing yourself are that those who follow you become discouraged, complacent, or rebellious.

I believe there is a “law of the lid” in our expectation of God. Because of challenges and disappointments in life we lower our level of expectation, resulting in discouragement, complacency, or rebellion against God. God has no lid. He is limitless in every way. Yet, we allow circumstances to lower our expectation of Him.

The area that God has been dealing with me in is to clearly define my expectations of Him based on His Word and expect to see a progressive miracle in my life. Jesus said in Mark 11:22-24, "Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”

In this verse we focus on the faith and speaking, but there is also the aspect of being specific in what we speak. When blind Bartimaeus cried out to Jesus until he had Jesus’ attention, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus knew what Bartimaeus needed but he wanted him to clearly articulate what he expected. In the same way, we need to clearly articulate to God what we expect from Him and be prepared to respond in obedience to what He tells us to do.

Like most things in life, restoration is often a process, a plan and a series of steps we must take. God’s miracles are often progressive because God desires to mature and develop us through the process. Expectation is what keeps us on track toward the goal. Expectation keeps us in the race and causes us to fight a good fight of faith to receive the prize that God has for us.

Do not let people and circumstances lower your expectation. Don’t spend your life wandering around the wilderness of mediocrity. Be willing to fight the good fight, take on the giants, armies, and walled cities to enter into the promises that God has for you. “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” (I Thessalonians 5:24)

Andy Clark