Notes
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.
So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
1 Peter 1:3-7
We can live with great expectations even in difficult moments. In Genesis, there is a story about a man named Joseph. He faced obstacle after obstacle, but kept his expectations that God would fulfill His promises.
1) Know what you have
One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. “Listen to this dream,” he said. “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!”
Genesis 37:5-7
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Romans 8:28
Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery after he told them about his dream. But what Joseph’s brothers intended to hurt him, God was going to use for good.
Our purpose is to love God and glorify Him, no matter where we are or what our circumstances happen to be. Even when what is happening to us is out of our control, God can take our situation and use it for good. We need to know what we have in Jesus so that we can expect God to use us in all circumstances.
2) Don’t give up
The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned.
Genesis 39:2-4
But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden ... The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he did to succeed.
Genesis 39:21, 23
Joseph knew God was with him, so he never gave up. A false accusation from Potiphar’s wife landed Joseph in prison, but even there Joseph kept living with expectation.
Use your circumstances as a stepping stone instead of a stumbling block. Keep running forward despite adversity or mistreatment.
3) Love all people
Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said.
But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.
Genesis 50:18-21
These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
1 Peter 1:7
When Joseph spoke with his brothers in Genesis 50, he was the second-in-command over all of Egypt. He trusted God and expected God to work through him despite the extreme challenges he faced. And when faced with those who were the ones to start his difficult journey, Joseph met them with nothing but God’s love.
God loves and honors all people because He created all people, and He expects the same from us. That doesn’t mean we agree with or affirm everything everyone says, but it means meeting them where they are and treating them the way God expects them to be treated. See those around you from God’s perspective: who He created them to be.
Group Questions
- What does it mean to have great expectations of God?
- How does Joseph demonstrate living with great expectations?
- How can we shift our perspective on challenges we have gone or are going through?
- What does loving all people look like in practice?
Prayer
Thank you for being with us when we face adversity and challenging times. We believe that you can use anything for the good of your Kingdom.