The Joy of Expecting

Anticipating God's Blessings

Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, 

because her hour has come; 

but when she gives birth to the child, 

she no longer remembers the anguish 

because of the joy that a child has been born into the world.

John 16:21

I don't know about you, but I LOVED being pregnant!  Something my daughter can't quite fathom.  lol.  Her pregnancy was quite difficult as far as feeling nauseous all the time which made for an unpleasant nine months.  Yet, as the nurse in my daughter's delivery room said to her, "You make Labor look easy!"  And she did!  

I, on the other hand, pushed for four hours with my first delivery, lost a lot of blood, and ended up spiking a fever.  My second delivery was fast and furious with intense back labor.

Regardless of whether our labor and delivery was "easy" or intense, we all experience incredible joy when we hold that precious gift from God in our arms for the very first time.

I think most mothers are so caught up in the joy of expecting their first child, that they don't become paralyzed with fear over the certain pain to come with labor the likes of which they've never known before...  

And the fact that women will go through labor and delivery again and again indeed demonstrates they no longer remember the anguish of childbirth...  but the joy that a child will be born into the world...

Expectant:

having or showing an excited feeling that something is about to happen, especially something pleasant and interesting.

The very nature of pregnancy is described as expectant or expecting.

"My friend is expecting".

Expecting is not referring to "expecting horrible pain and anguish".

Expecting, in this context, is referring to "expecting a miracle from God; a beautiful daughter or son, created by you and your husband, to care for and love".

Expect More from God

I think we could learn a thing or two from the joy of an expectant mother...

And I'm preaching to myself here...

Too often, we go through life expecting the worst.  And when things are going good, we wait for the other shoe to drop.  

How sad that we expect the worst in life rather than expect the best - GOD's BEST.

What if we lived every minute of our lives anticipating and expecting ALL that God WILL do for us. 

 God ALWAYS wants what is best for us.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, 

plans for welfare and not for evil, 

to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

And we know that for those who love God 

all things work together for good, 

for those who are called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

And the Lord will guide you continually

and satisfy your desire in scorched places

and make your bones strong; 

and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Isaiah 58:11

Every day is a miracle. God has sustained our beating hearts through the night, and we have woken up with new tender mercies from God.

The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, 

For His compassions never fail. 

They are new every morning; 

Great is Your faithfulness. 

Lamentations 3:22-23

What Should Christians Expect from God

But what do we do when we are in the throws of fiery trials; whether it be for an hour, a day, months or years?  How do we live life abundantly when we feel that life has been sucked out of us?

We hope and we wait expectantly - anticipating all that God WILL do.

Deliverance may come quickly or it may tarry.

We can't see the future, but we can hope.

It only takes a blink of an eye for a situation to change - that defining moment in the midst of sadness and afflictions when something changes for the better.  Even in chronic illness, you may turn a corner or you may wake up in the presence of your Lord and Savior with no more pain and no more suffering.

There is something about hope that makes us say to ourselves, "maybe this will be the day...".

Those who hope in the Lord say...

"The LORD is my portion,"... 

"Therefore I have hope in Him."…

Lamentations 3:24

Those who hope in the Lord can say this because even in the midst of pain and suffering, whether emotional or physical, those who continue to hope in the Lord are able to see how God is sustaining and comforting them minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day.  They know that He is in the affliction with them and will not leave them.

It is the LORD who goes before you. 

He will be with you; 

he will not leave you or forsake you. 

Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Deuteronomy 31:8

Through the labor pains of trials, we can experience the joy of expecting as we wait in hope for God's deliverance...

 And WHEN that day comes, we will experience the incredible and unique joy that comes from healing, no matter what circumstance you have been delivered from.  Lowest lows yield highest joys...  {I wrote a post about this which you can read here.}

God never promised us that life would be easy, but He did promise us an abundant life of joy in Him.

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

John 10:10b

Our pilgrimage on earth WILL BE a life of labor pains, but there is no need to be paralyzed by fear,  because we have the joyful hope of knowing that ...

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,  as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. 

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. 

But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

John 16:33

May we all live in continual, joyful anticipation of all that God WILL do for us each today...

This is the day that the Lord has made;

    let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

Be thou my vision

1. Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; 

Naught be all else to me, save that thou art; 

Thou my best thought, by day or by night, 

Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light. 

2. Be thou my Wisdom, and thou my true Word; 

I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord; 

Thou my great Father, and I thy true son, 

Thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one. 

3. Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise; 

Thou mine inheritance, now and always; 

Thou and thou only, first in my heart, 

High King of heaven, my treasure thou art. 

4. High King of heaven, my victory won, 

May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's Sun! 

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, 

Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all. 

Eleanor H. Hull

And may we live in expectant hope for that great day when we will see our Savior face to face.

For similar posts, click on the following:

God's Special Promise to Mothers

14 Promises to Claim this Mother's Day for Every Season of Motherhood

Labor, Delivery & New Life

Hannah's Prayer: 7 Important Lessons for Mothers

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