Anticipation

     A few years ago there was a Heinz Ketchup commercial which featured Carly Simon’s song ‘Anticipation.’  The commercial was about someone waiting for the ketchup to come out of the bottle onto an awaiting hamburger.  The message of the commerical was clear: this ketchup was so good, it was worth waiting for.

     Now, anticipation does not mean that we predict what we think God will do or, especially as Christians, plan our lives without taking into consideration God’s will for our lives.  As James says, “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.” (James 4:13-15)

     Anticipation for the Christian is looking forward to a future promised blessing (i.e. the coming of Christ) and living our lives in such a way that it reflects our love and appreciation for all that God by His mercy and grace will pour into our lives this next year.  If we want to experience God, it will mean that we make some adjustments in our lives; but we do so with great anticipation of seeing God do God-sized thing for which only He can be glorified and acknowledged.  “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)