We all know what it’s like to anticipate something- Christmas, a birthday, visits with special friends. In the last chapter (“Anticipating God’s Plans”) of Fear Not Tomorrow, God’s Already There, Ruth Graham provides 8 descriptors of anticipation:
1. God created us to anticipate- we’re hardwired for it.
2. Anticipation must be cultivated through forward thinking.
3. Anticipating God’s plans means we are expecting God’s activity in our lives, in the lives of others, and in the world.
4. We must be willing to embrace the way God’s plans are played out, which can be quite difficult when we’ve been submerged by our adversity.
5. Although we yearn to see God’s promises or plans fulfilled, trust must remain our focus, with reaching our goal taking a backseat. As W. Glyn Evans writes in Daily with the King (1979), “Faith cannot tell time very well.”
6. Maintaining a daily relationship with God keeps anticipation alive. Being intentional in this relationship will keep routines and everyday life from erasing that anticipation.
7. Focus on finding God’s way through your adversity rather than looking for a way out.
8. Build anticipation by talking about it and creating a buzz. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”- 1 Corinthians 2:9
