Expectation is usually associated with positive forward thinking. Most of us would say having no expectation for the future tends to make ones life dull and mundane. I've even heard some describe a no expectation perspective as rut living, faithless, and hopeless. But expectation can sometimes be deceiving.

The Messiah came as they had heard he would, but He was completely different than who those looking for Him thought He would be. And their preconceived notions caused them to miss Him. They rejected Jesus, their long awaited Messiah, simply because He wasn't who they expected.

Those who claimed to know the most about God were the ones who rejected Jesus the most. And Jesus responded to their rejection by explaining that those who weren't sick had no need for a physician. (See Mark 2:17.) Then, because of their unbelief, He did no mighty works for them. (See Matthew 13:58.) He allowed them to remain deceived by their expectations.

But there were those who did receive Him, many of whom had no previous expectation of Him. When they met Him they believed they needed what He offered, they received what He gave, and they embraced their need for change. And they experienced the miracle of life-change.

Like those who missed the Messiah, I have found myself deceived by my expectations many times. And it's difficult to move beyond what I think should be and embrace what I don't understand. I say I know, trust, and believe Him, but the safety and comfort of what fits within my realm of thinking beckons me to shun the unexpected.

Faith is about moving forward into the unknown with God. Every time I activate my faith and move beyond my expectations I discover the real measure of my trust in Him. And it's when I embrace the change He offers that I finally truly experience the miraculous. It's when He changes me.